Gossip Girl 1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **If I owned the greatness that is Gossip Girl, Chuck and Blair would have their own show, but I don't and so they can't :(

This is my first full-length Gossip Girl fic, and as you might have guessed, it takes place in College. Just to give you a little heads up on what's been going on with our favourite UE-siders, Chuck and Blair remained friends after he cheated on her with Amelia. Nate is single, as are Blair, Chuck, Dan, Serena etc. Any questions, just ask :)

This is just the prologue to kind of give you a little more background on where the characters are, so hope you enjoy :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Prologue

College life suits Blair Waldorf. And even though Yale isn't far away from her home on the Upper East Side, it's far enough away so that she's not plagued by rumours from Gossip Girl to ruin her freshman year.

They're a few weeks into their first semester, and it had taken as long (and will still most probably take longer) for Blair to adjust to sharing her living space with another girl who isn't, yet acts in every way the same as Serena.

Blair's blonde best friend had chosen to study across the country in California – Berkeley to be exact, and while Blair could think of nothing worse than the four seasons of each year rolling into one big summer, she knew Serena would thrive there, with her sunny disposition and seemingly natural California-type looks.

Dan had settled at Brown, and though Blair never had (and never would) speak to him directly via her cell, she had heard from Serena that the two of them were still close, and talked "virtually every day." What anybody could possibly talk to Dan Humphrey about on a regular basis was beyond Blair, but as long as there was no Dan/Serena drama in the offing, she was happy.

Blair/Nate drama however, would prove to be a different matter.

The brunette herself had been somewhat disappointed to discover that Nate too, would be studying at Yale, having picked the school mostly for its athletics programme and opportunities, as well as for the anthropology course he wished to major in. Blair had found this choice a little surprising, considering that Nate had never been a particularly good judge of character, and had almost shied away from heavy forms of social activity. Still, she had chosen economics which had hardly been her favourite subject back in high school.

Her roommate Cassandra (Cassie for short), a Connecticut native, had showed Blair around the city of New Haven, pointing out the best places to eat, the best nail salons, the bars with the best selection of Scotch in town...

_Scotch._

That had been her first real reminder of high school and the life she'd left behind. Scotch reminded her of Chuck and Chuck...well he was at Duke majoring in history, though why he had chosen that was unknown to Blair. Still, she had no place to question his choices and had settled on the day they'd all said their goodbyes, on an offer of well-wishing, and a slightly lingering kiss on the cheek.

They'd messaged a couple times, though about nothing important, and Blair was beginning to sense that everything or anything she and Chuck had once had, was now so far behind them that they'd probably be unable to remember what things had been like.

So she'd shrugged Cassie's comment off, told her that actually, she preferred a more sophisticated glass of rosé or a drop of Moët and Chandon and asked whether there was somewhere classy they could go to enjoy such tipples?

As it turned out, there was, and for the past few weeks, the girls had enjoyed nights at Scoozzi, chatting over wines in the bar's pretty garden, complete with picture-perfect fairy lights before moving on to one of the city's clubs.

It was different to Blair's life in Manhattan, but good different, and having Nate around had proved to be more beneficial than she had initially thought. Her ex-boyfriend was understanding when a couple girls in one of Blair's classes had passed comment on her designer wardrobe, and had told her that she didn't need to change who she was to fit in with everybody else. She _did _fit, she _was _popular, and if those girls had been back in Constance Billiard, Blair would have squashed them there and then.

So when one of the girls had had the misfortune to bump into Blair while wearing last season's Prada, the brunette had offered advice about waiting at least a decade or so before trying to make tweed retro, before continuing on her way. And so after only a few weeks, Blair had managed to bump up her power status and establish herself as Queen B, at least among her classmates.

Nate had congratulated her, and when it was his birthday, a couple days after the incident, Blair had taken him out for dinner, presenting him with a new sweater as his gift. It was a comfortable friendship they had fallen into, and one Blair intended to maintain as part of her 'I am a new person' mantra. Ignoring Cassie's comments of "It looks like more than just friends to me", Blair had decided to be herself around the boy who broke her heart a long time ago because, well, it _was _a long time ago and the fact that without everyone else from the Upper East Side around them, they had been able to slip into their newfound friendship remarkably easily, actually proved that they were good friends before the whole Serena/Chuck-thing happened.

She had the freedom to be who she wanted, to see who she wanted and to leave the upper class bitch image behind. Nate blended into the jock scene too easily to be mistaken as a high society rich kid who relied on his parents' money, and as Blair was primarily associated with him (having formed a friendship group with his buddies and Cassie), she too, was widely accepted by her classmates and fellow college students.

Had Blair known what (or who) was around the corner however, she might not have been so sure that her newfound freedom couldn't be shattered.

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Continue? xxx


	2. Midnight Dips and PiggyBacks

**A/N - **Thank you sooooooo much for your reviews, you lovely little reviewers :) They mean a lot and in the middle of week 1 back at uni, they make me smile too (which is always good, right?) Just a little more info in case any of you are confused, I started writing this after 2X03, so I haven't really accounted for anything that's taken place since then. But if you have any questions, just ask and I'll pm you right back :)

Enough from me, on with chapter 1 :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 1: Midnight Dips and Piggy-Backs

"I can't believe you hooked up with him!" Cassie squealed to Blair who rolled her eyes over a cup of green tea and lemon. "And I can't believe you're drinking that stuff." The blonde wrinkled her nose. "It tastes disgusting. What's wrong with a normal drink like cappuccino or hot chocolate?"

"I like it." Blair replied plainly. "Besides, it speeds your metabolism up."

"Like you need to be any thinner."

"Well, I wouldn't be able to wear these clothes if I drunk as many hot chocolates as you."

"Yeah well, I'm a skinny bitch." Cassie giggled. "Which is too bad because I was reading a survey in Cosmo this month, and 87 percent of men prefer girls with boobs and an ass. Anyway, we've changed the subject and I want to hear about you and Aaron!"

Blair shook her head. "There's nothing to tell. It was a party, I drunk some champagne, lost feeling in my lips and had to kiss somebody to tell if it was just the alcohol or to see whether my face had become paralyzed. He just _happened_ to be there."

"Yeah, and he also just_ happened_ to be totally hot and totally into you."

"Please." Blair rolled her eyes again. "He'd be into anyone with a pulse."

"Not like he's into you. And besides, you didn't sleep in our room last night."

"That's because when I looked over at you, you had your tongue down some guy's throat and whenever I've seen you like that before, I've come back to our room to find I don't have a bed. So I thought I'd save you the trouble and stay at Nate's. _Not _Aaron's."

"Nate's huh? And I suppose you'll tell me nothing happened there either?"

"Exactly."

"Urgh, when are you two going to get together?" Cassie smiled. "It's so obvious."

"What's obvious?"

"That you like each other."

"Yeah we do. As friends." Blair stated. "We went out before remember? In elementary school and junior high and high school and look how things ended."

"So he cheated on you."

"With my best friend."

"But you forgave him."

"Because we're better as friends."

"But you still think he's hot, right?"

Blair hesitated and Cassie took that to mean yes. "I knew it!"

"Of course I'm still going to find him _slightly_ attractive; I didn't date him for all those years just because I liked his personality. But it doesn't mean that I want us to be boyfriend and girlfriend again. Or ever."

Cassie laughed and Blair continued to sip her green tea, safe in the knowledge that it would be helping her burn that chicken salad she'd had for lunch. Relationships were lost on Blair now: she preferred the 'try before you buy' method, and the buying was no fun. This way, she was always in control and stood no chance of losing her Queen B status. After all, she'd worked for it for all of...five weeks.

"There's a party tonight." Cassie told her, changing the subject after being unable to get anything juicy out of her brunette friend. "On Bowen Field, I think it's being thrown by the third floor or something but I can't remember why exactly."

"Dress code?"

"Smart casual?"

"Cass, you're supposed to find these things out." Blair laughed. "I told you this after the last time."

The last time, Blair referred to, had been an unfortunate occasion where Cassie had gotten them invites to a 'fancy dress' party, or so she'd told Blair. Except, the fancy dress, was actually meant 'dress fancy' and so in their rather revealing 'angel' costumes, the girls had been frowned upon by the rest of the guests, draped in fancy furs and silks, with long hemlines and beading, where no dresses had been shorter than ankle-length.

Still, it had been a funny story to tell, and the first time Blair had not been embarrassed for a fashion error. Meeting Cassie had done her the world of good; as had leaving her old UES ways behind. And even though Blair was still learning how to get properly ashamedly drunk, she'd enjoyed wearing more casual clothing, enjoyed buying jeans (even though at 400, they were the same price as a smart dress she might have bought back in New York) and wearing Nate's Yale sweatshirt. She was learning to live like a normal teenager in a normal environment, and she loved it.

"Okay, I'll ask Dylan later."

"Dylan?"

"From down the hall. 245. He was the one who told me about the party."

Blair shrugged before nodding. "Sounds good."

-

The party had gotten underway, and after finding out that that in actual fact, there _was _no dress code because the party was being held to celebrate the anniversary of something or another, Blair had settled on navy dressy shorts and a cream blouse with ruffle hem down the front.

"Urgh, I always look like I've been shopping in Target when I stand next to you." Cassie pouted, taking a swig from her red plastic cup.

"Drinking beer from a keg, yes you do." Blair returned, shaking her head at her friend. Sure, she'd managed to dress less...Upper East Side but it didn't mean that she had to lower her drinking standards. Beer from a keg, or beer in any sense was _not _ladylike, and Blair refused to even hold a cup, let alone drink from one.

"I mean the clothes." Cassie added sarcastically as Blair laughed.

"I know, but you don't look like you've been shopping at Target. I'd let you know if you did."

"You girls put your bikinis on?" A guy interrupted Cassie and Blair, glancing towards the lake.

"No, why?" Blair asked.

"Perfect. Everybody's going lake swimming at midnight and if you haven't got your bikinis on...well you'll either have to swim in your underwear or nothing at all." He smirked before leaving the girls to their selves again.

"Lake swimming?"

"I forgot to mention that." Cassie said. "Apparently, every year they do a midnight dip thing. It sounded fun."

"It would sound more fun if I was wearing a swimsuit!" Blair hissed.

"So? I haven't got one on. You're wearing matching lingerie right?"

Blair frowned as if there would be a reason why she wouldn't be. "Of course."

"Then who cares if you haven't got a bikini?"

"I care. I'm not swimming in a lake. Who knows what's in there."

"It'll be fun."

"We'll freeze! It's like, a zillion streets away from campus."

"It's not that far!"

"It's Fall!"

"So? Nate's wearing a sweater, just borrow that when we're done."

"What about you?"

Cassie shrugged. "I'm sure I can find a guy with a sweater around here somewhere."

-

"I'm effing freezing!" Blair whined, pouting as she staggered back up the grassy bank, drunk and dripping wet, with only her black lingerie covering her, alongside an equally drunk and cold Cassie.

"Me too."

"This was your idea."

"You shouldn't have let me talk you into it."

"Urgh, it's not like we can even call a cab."

"I thought you weren't supposed to feel the cold when you're drunk." Cassie commented.

"Well clearly whoever made that observation didn't go swimming at midnight in Fall in a damn park lake." Blair grimaced. "I'm sure my foot touched something seaweed-like."

The two of them shuddered and looked to their left upon hearing a familiar laugh.

"I can't believe you went swimming." Nate mused, making his way over with one of his friends from the lacrosse team.

"I can't believe you haven't offered me your sweater yet." Blair hit back. "And it's the one _I _bought you."

"Sorry." Nate chuckled, taking off the clothing. "Here."

She took it gratefully, pulling the warm cotton over her body, glad that it was big enough to cover her modesty, not that she had much left.

"And how about you?" She turned to Nate's friend. "Cassie's cold too."

The boy looked at Nate who shook his head and laughed, before taking off his sweater to hand to a girl he'd rarely spent time with.

"See? It wasn't so hard to be gentlemanly was it?" Blair said, sickeningly sweetly. "But I'm tired and my balance is a little...off."

"You mean you're drunk and you can't be bothered to walk back to campus?" Nate offered.

"I'm not drunk, I'm just..."

"Not sober?" Cassie offered.

"Exactly."

"Fine." Nate rolled his eyes with a smile and crouched down, his back facing Blair.

"What's this?"

"I'm giving you a piggy-back."

"What?"

"A piggy-back, you know, you hop on, I'll carry you..."

"Can't you just, carry me as if I was sick?"

"No because you're not sick, you're drunk and when you're drunk, you're heavy."

"Nathaniel Archibald, are you suggesting that I'm fat?"

"No, I'm suggesting that you take up my offer or you walk."

Blair huffed and climbed on, desperately trying to rearrange Nate's sweater as Cassie did the same. Asher, as they'd learnt the other guy's name to be, had seemingly taken a liking to the blonde girl, who was now shrieking and giggling like a child.

-

Inevitably, by the time the boys had gotten the girls up the stairs, who tried to help speed things up by slapping their respective partners' shoulders, saying "giddy up", they were out of breath, and almost collapsed at the entrance to their corridor.

"Keep going, we're not there yet!" Blair laughed, lolling her head on Nate's shoulder, which nearly sent him tumbling forwards.

But when she pushed the door open, her laughing quickly stopped as a lump formed in her throat, and the boy down the hallway turned around.

"Chuck?"

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Review? _Please?_ :)


	3. Hallway Liasons

**Disclaimer - **I think I forgot to mention the fact that I don't own Gossip Girl or any of the characters in this fic aside frm Cassie and Asher (who actually isn't really going to feature much anyway. We'll keep Cassie though cos I kinda like her)

**A/N - **I love you guys for your reviews :) Thanks a million, and with no further ado (other than an expression of my disappointment at 'The Serena Also Rises' epsidoe) here's chapter 2 (or 3, depending n how you look at it) Enjoy :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 2: Hallway Liaisons 

"What are you doing here?" Blair demanded, letting herself slide down Nate's back until her feet were on the floor.

"I go here."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I go here now. Yale. It's where I go to school."

"What happened to Duke?"

"Turns out history isn't my area. Well..." He raises an eyebrow and smirks. "World history isn't my area. _Our _history on the other hand..."

"Stays in the past." Blair cut in quickly.

The hallway stayed silent, with Cassie still on Asher's back until Chuck eyed the two of them, and they looked at each other in realisation.

"I should get going." Asher said.

"Yeah, and this is my room so..." Cassie nodded towards her and Blair's door. "See you around." She offered Asher a quick smile before disappearing as he did the same.

"I'll call you tomorrow man." Nate called, and Asher gave him the thumbs up before closing the door and retreating downstairs.

"It's good to see you." Nate grinned, hugging Chuck as Blair looked on, clearing her throat.

"Likewise." Chuck nodded. "And Blair, you look...decidedly unclothed. I like."

"You know what I like?" Blair asked sarcastically. "Explanations. And you'd better have a damn good one as to why you're here and not in that god awful state of North Carolina."

"Easy princess, you're feisty when you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk."

"Then why was Nate carrying you?"

"Because he knows how to be a gentleman, unlike some people I could mention."

"If you're referring to me then I take offence." Chuck replied. "I like to think I'm the epitome of gentlemanly ways."

"Then you're delusional."

"And you're a bitch, but we all have to learn to overlook the things about people we don't necessarily like."

"Guys!" Nate cut in, half-laughing, half-confused. "Anything wrong with a cup of coffee and a little catch-up _inside _instead of in the hallway. Like old friends?"

"There's nothing wrong with that when an old friend is wearing just her lingerie." Chuck smirked. "Black lace, you know my tastes well."

"Jackass." Blair muttered under her breath as she tried to pull Nate's sweater further over her body."

"Continue the insults inside?" Nate offered, nodding towards his door. "Maybe shower and put on some dry clothes?"

"I like that plan." Chuck replied. "Although Nathaniel, I never took you to be a share-the-soap kind of guy. Always thought you were pretty clean-cut."

"He meant _separately _idiot." Blair cut in.

"And there you just ruined one of my fantasies. You and I in the shower together. Guess I'll just have to wait for my dreams."

"Well you'll be waiting a long time because even in your dreams, I'd reject you."

Chuck sucked in his breath, still smirking. "Cutting."

Blair just shook her head, pushing past the boy she thought she'd left behind to get into Nate's room. "Truthful."

-

"So you're here for good?" Nate asked Chuck, reaching for a spare mug to pour three coffees.

"Well, if you call for good the remainder of our education, then yes, I am. And I'd prefer something a little...stronger if you don't mind." He said, glancing towards the row of liquor on the counter.

"Grey goose?"

"Or a little Johnnie Walker."

Nate laughed a little. "You haven't changed."

"You expected me to?" He raised his eyebrows as Blair entered, fresh from the shower and dressed in the new Dior number she'd bought downtown a few days ago. It wasn't the only outfit she had there – she kept a pair of sweatpants and a wife-beater as well as a couple more dressy items. Somehow, she didn't feel she could wear anything other than her best in front of Chuck, and she hated the uneasiness that had washed over her. "You keep clothes here?"

Blair shrugged. "For emergencies."

"Where's your dorm room?"

"Down the hall."

"What emergencies could possibly require you not to be able to get a few feet into your own room?"

"Cassie's popular with the boys." She replied simply, trying to act casual, yet getting hotter and more flustered the longer Chuck stared at her. He was looking at her now, with a mixture of confusion and amusement on his face, like he didn't quite believe her.

And it was pissing Blair off.

He seemingly hadn't changed at all – still had his hair cut the same as he had all the way through high school, still wore the ridiculous clothes that, back in Manhattan were charming and co-ordinated, but here, looked out of place and excessive. His mannerisms were all the same, as was his choice of drink, the way he carefully articulated every word that left his mouth, yet he was now watching her as though she was someone he'd never seen before.

She didn't like it, yet she was intrigued all the same, trying desperately not to ask all the questions that were flooding her brain.

"So Nathaniel, tell me." Chuck turned his attention back to his best friend. "How's Yale treating you?"

"Pretty good." Nate nodded. "I made the lacrosse team, cross-country running team, and my classes...are kinda boring but there's gotta be a downside right?"

"Wrong." Chuck shook his head. "There _never _has to be a downside my man, _never_."

Nate laughed and Blair rolled her eyes.

"And Blair." He turned to her. "I trust you've already scouted the halls for your minions. How many do you have here? Four? Five?"

"It's not high school." She answered flatly, smoothing her dress as she stood up. "I'm heading to bed, I've got class in the morning."

"I'll come with you." Chuck offered, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth until Blair turned around, her hand on the door handle.

"You make me sick."

He'd have thought of something to come back with had her eyes not locked with his and her voice been laced with venom. Blair knew he didn't like it, and that Nate was confused, but so was she and being around the one person she'd only just managed to stop thinking about every second of every day failed to help.

So she closed the door behind her suddenly very, very sober, resting her head on the cream wood as she exhaled before heading along the hallway to her own room.

Perhaps things would be better in the morning?

"So that was..."

"Unexpectedly biting?" Chuck offered, just the two of them left in Nate's room which was, if he dared think it, a tad...preppy.

"I was going to say just like high school but whatever."

"She's changed." Chuck said bluntly.

"No she hasn't she's just..."

"Completely different? Not Blair Waldorf: Ice Queen, not..."

"She's happy." Nate replied. "I think. College seems to have..."

"Changed her."

"_Or_ made her more mellow."

"Well what I just saw wasn't mellow."

"What I just saw was Blair 1, Chuck 0." Nate laughed.

"Scoring Nathaniel? That's so game-playing, so sophomore year and so...what I should _do_. Blair loves it when things heat up."

"Actually I think..."

"Play her at her own game." Chuck cut in, downing the rest of his drink while Nate stared open-mouthed."

"That's not what I'm saying, I...Chuck, why did you come here? Seriously? Because if it's to do with Blair then whatever you're planning on doing, don't. She's happy, she's got her life together..."

"I'm saddened that you think badly of me my man. I'm here because Yale was always where I was supposed to attend. Sure I distracted myself with Duke and world history, but I made a mistake. I was rash and my real passion -"

"You mean besides women and drinking?" Nate cut in.

Chuck raised an eyebrow and continued. "As I was saying, my real passion has always been finance and business studies. And where better to study that than Yale?"

"How'd you get a transfer?"

"I was an usher at the Ivy League mixer back in junior year remember?" He replied flatly. "And besides, I'm Chuck Bass."

"Can I expect a new wing to be added to the library any time soon?"

"Now, now, the Bass men aren't all about money and bribery. There's a certain degree of charm that gets thrown in there too."

Nate paused for a moment, as if taking in all of Chuck's information. Not sure whether he believed everything, he smiled as he patted Chuck on the back anyway. "Well it's good to have you here."

"Thank you Nathaniel, it's good to be here. If only everyone felt the same."

"What, Blair? She'll come around." Nate told him. "You know what she's like. Anything changes and she freaks out a little."

"Must be the controlling monster in her."

Nate offered a half-smile, a kind of knowing-smile as Chuck continued. "I've always liked that about her."

"Her need for control?"

"That drive requires determination and strength. Blair's an admirable woman for going after that."

Nate frowned and Chuck took that as his cue. "What room number are you?"

"214."

"That's pretty close. As in, on this corridor close."

"Sure is."

"And let me guess, you just got lucky?"

"Actually, thatpart _was_ bribery. Those IT geeks will do anything to be nearer the quieter end of the building."

Nate shook his head laughing. "I've got class in the morning but I'm free at lunch? I'll give you a guided tour."

"Sounds good."

-

"Urgh, is it morning?" Blair groaned, squinting as she pulled off her eye mask to find the off button on the alarm lurking somewhere on the bedside table.

"Actually, it was morning a good few hours ago." Cassie laughed from across the room. "But I guess you were having too much fun with your boys last night to notice that you didn't come in here until gone three. Any scandal?"

"No scandal." Blair sighed. "Just..."

"Another greatly appreciated hottie?"

"Hottie?"

"Chuck, was it?" Cassie asked. "That guy you obviously know from somewhere. He's totally...mmmm."

"Cass!"

"What? I mean, I know Nate's hot and all, and for those days when I'm feeling good, a nice pretty boy like him is perfect. But Chuck? Now he's got that smouldering bad-boy thing going on that I love and..."

"Eww, stop talking." Blair covered her ears with her manicured hands.

"Don't tell me he was your boyfriend too?"

"No." Blair shook her head. It was true – Chuck had never officially been her boyfriend. But he'd broken her heart and Blair figured that was much, much worse. And now he'd showed up, living probably only a few hallways along, ready to turn her newfound life upside down. She couldn't be new Blair with him here, and she didn't want to be old Blair again either.

"Blair?"

"Huh?"

"Did something happen between you guys?"

"No." Blair lied. It was easier than telling the truth, reliving everything that happened two years ago. They'd tried to be _something _in senior year; her and Chuck, not really friends, definitely not a couple, and never lovers, but it had been something all the same. And there'd always been _something _there. Here, she'd been able to escape that, even if she did miss him, and him not being around made it easy to forget how he made her feel, made it easy to block out everything he'd ever said to her, everything he'd ever done to her. And now? It was flooding back like a tsunami she could never stop.

Blair just hoped she had enough strength to ride out the storm.

-

"So for Wall-Mart," The professor began, eyes wide at his class as he explained the importance of profit on one item being greater than the loss on another. "Eggs would be a..."

"Loss-leader." The class echoed as the door to the lecture theatre slammed open and then shut again. Blair turned around, her stomach lurching as Chuck made his way to an empty seat.

"Name?" The professor asked.

"Chuck Bass." He smirked at Blair, who shook her head and quickly (perhaps a little _too _quickly) looked away.

"Ah, Mr Bass, our new recruit. Nice of you to show up on time for your first class."

"My apologies sir. I spent last night familiarizing myself with the campus and a few students. I must have lost track of time because I slept through my alarm. I-"

"Excuses like that might have been acceptable in high school, but this is college and they don't work with me." The professor instructed as Blair tried hard to stifle a laugh. "This is your first day, I'll cut you some slack, but if it happens again, I'm partial to a 3,000 word essay or two." He nodded at Chuck who seemed to take the whole thing rather well before turning his attention back to the notes in his hand. "Now, back to the key concepts..."

Chuck's choice of empty seat happened to be precisely behind Blair, and so she managed not to hear the rest of what the professor was saying, concentrating instead, on keeping her breathing even, her stomach pulled in and her back upright.

-

She'd almost made it out onto the veranda before Chuck caught up with her, doing that almost-run that still looked composed to the untrained eye. Blair however, had known he would make a beeline for her after class, and had planned her exit as quickly as she could. Not one to be shaken off, Chuck caught up with her, smirking as she turned around.

"Got somewhere to be, B?"

"As a matter of fact, I have." Blair replied quickly.

"Like?"

"Like as far away from you as possible."

"Now that hurts me."

"Good."

"Aren't you happy I'm back?" Chuck asked, disguising his seriousness with another small smirk.

"Being back would have required you to have been here in the first place." Blair cut. "Which you never were. So if you're asking whether I'm happy that you're here, then the answer is no."

"And why is that?"

"Because this isn't last year and I don't have the patience to keep dodging you every time you're around."

"Then don't."

Blair rolled her eyes. "What room are you in anyway?"

"214."

"214?" Blair asked again, internally groaning as she did the math. "That's like, five doors down."

"Then dodging me is going to be pretty hard."

"Look, I'm pretty busy so if you could just leave me alone for the next three years, that'd be great."

She turned before he could comment, never stopping to look back or to swallow or to think about how her legs had turned to jell-o and she could barely walk. All she had to focus on was new Blair, the one that was happy and carefree.

But suddenly with Chuck around, new Blair didn't seem all that easy to pull off.

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Suspense enough? Cos we all know there's more C/B banter to come :)


	4. On The Rocks

**A/N- **I love you guys for your reviews. Please keep them coming :) P.S. How awesome does this weeks episode look?? I can't wait :)

* * *

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 3: On The Rocks

"We should go out tonight, just me and you." Nate told Chuck as the two of them walked through campus. "I know a few bars where the girls are...not as controlled as they are back home."

Chuck smiled. "I like what you're saying my man. I see senior year taught you well."

The senior year Chuck referred to, was a blur of marijuana, of alcohol and Spring-break fantasies. It included prostitutes (of only the highest class, _naturally_), impromptu strip poker games and way too many detentions. It had been Chuck's way of getting over (or at least, _attempting_ to get over) Blair, and Nate's way of dealing with his parents' mistakes. And even if there had been ulterior motives behind their ladish behaviour, it had been fun all the same.

"But last night." Chuck continued, lighting up a joint under Nate's wide eyes. "I saw something."

"What?"

"I don't know, a spark."

"A spark?"

"Between you and lady B."

"Me and Blair?" Nate asked, laughing a little uneasily. "We're just friends."

"And friends give other friends piggy-back rides when they're wearing just their underwear?"

"She was drunk, and besides, she had a sweater on."

"Whose sweater?"

"Mine."

"Exactly." Chuck raised his eyebrows, not even sure why he was pursuing this because he _hated_ where it was going.

"Think what you like, but we're just friends." Nate confirmed, a sort-of lump-like thing forming in his throat. Maybe he was lying (subconsciously of course because he was sure he didn't like Blair in that way) or maybe he was sensing that Chuck still loved _his_ ex-girlfriend. Either way, he was sure he didn't like this mental over-analysis taking place in his head, and grabbing the joint from Chuck, took a deep breath, letting out the smoke as he pointed over to the left, grinning. "Girls locker rooms."

"Nathaniel, you're making me immensely proud."

-

"Did you ask Nate and Chuck to come out with us?" Cassie asked Blair as she held up various dresses in front of her slender frame, short blonde hair flicked to perfection, giving her that edgy, dangerous, intriguing look Blair sometimes wished she could pull off. Cassie could be girly and cute or do 80's rockstar and look nothing short of fabulous. Blair was at the other end of the scale. Everything about her was so...elegant and thought-out. Sometimes she wanted to go to class looking like she'd just gotten up, thrown on the first clothes she'd found from a pile on the floor and headed out. Instead, her dresses were never creased, her trademark hair bands always in place and her lipstick matched her nail polish. Even her jeans refused to look worn-in and comfortable.

"Er, what?"

"Are you okay?" Cassie asked. "Because you've been a bit...spaced out today."

"Oh, I think I'm just a little hungover." She lied. To be hungover required going to bed drunk, and the sight of Chuck last night certainly made sure she was sober when she finally managed to get to sleep. "What did you ask me?"

"Whether you invited Nate and Chuck to come with us or are you just going to keep them to yourself and not share?"

"Actually I hadn't even thought about them." She lied again. Blair hated it. She hadn't lied this much to anyone other than herself since high school. And she figured lying to herself didn't really count anyway. "They're probably doing some guys-only thing anyway." She imagined everything she knew they'd gotten up to back in high school. She knew only what they and Gossip Girl had told her. She was sure there'd been a hell of a lot more.

"Sucks for us." Cassie pouted.

"What? No!" Blair quickly snapped back into her newly-formed college self. "Sucks for them."

"So I'm thinking the blue?" Cassie said, completely changing the subject to Blair's relief. Clothes she could cope with right now. Nate and Chuck? She wasn't sure she could. "With patent courts?"

"Blue looks cute." She replied. "But those courts for Neat? Here." She fingered the delicate shoe boxes at the edges of her closet. "Try these on."

"Your Louboutins? Blair, I couldn't."

"Of course you can." Blair waved it away. "They'll look great on you. Especially with that dress."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't lend them to you if I wasn't."

"I owe you. And I'd say take what you want from my collection, but with a closet like yours I don't think you need to." Cassie laughed. "And you're wearing?..."

Blair shrugged. "I haven't decided yet."

-

She looked absolutely one thousand percent amazing. Her hair was straight and layered down her back, covering part of her skin yet exposing her shoulders, two delicately thin straps of navy silk sitting pretty as a picture. Her skirt; tulip style in grey stiffened cotton hung from her hips in a way that made her legs look endless with her feet in those skyscraper heels he loved so much. Her back was turned to him, and it made Chuck glad because at least when he couldn't see her face, she couldn't see his either.

And then she bent forward, just slightly, ever-so-gently, and he nearly had a heart attack at the sight of her lace stockings poking out from under that skirt. They were attached to some sort of suspender-garment that Chuck could only imagine, and all of a sudden, it seemed like time had stopped and he was staring at one of those movies where the beautiful girl made her entrance.

He wanted to swear and smash a couple glasses and run right over to kiss her all at the same time because that was how she made him feel and he could barely stand it. But Nate hadn't spied her, Chuck wouldn't let on he'd clocked her five minutes after sitting down, and there were enough scantily-clad girls whoring themselves out to keep him reasonably distracted.

It wasn't working though. She was talking to some guy he didn't know (and _definitely _didn't like) about something he couldn't make out and she was giggling. Actually giggling.

Chuck shuddered. "Hey, how about we move on?"

"But we've only been here five minutes!" Nate protested. "I'm not even halfway through my beer yet."

"You're a lightweight and this city has so many other promising bars. I want to _do_ New Haven Nathaniel."

Nate chuckled. "And I'm sure _New Haven_ can't wait."

"Drink up, next round's on me."

"Hey B, isn't that Nate over there?" Cassie interrupted Blair's conversation, spinning the brunette round to the direction she was looking previously. "And...Chuck?"

Nate waved upon hearing his name mentioned from the far side of the room, and nudged Chuck, who had to feign first-sighting as Cassie, unapologetic for tearing Blair away from her latest male admirer in favour of the two boys at the table by the window, headed over.

"Hey." Cassie smiled, settling herself down on the seat next to Chuck while Blair silently ran over her options. She could just bolt out of there and deal with everything in the morning, when those couple bellinis she'd downed weren't clouding her judgement, or she could stay and feel uncomfortable. Either way, she figured she'd be highly uncomfortable for the next few years, so really, nothing could make the situation any worse.

"Ladies." Chuck smarmed, kissing Cassie's hand. The blonde looked like she was about to have an orgasm there and then, and Blair rolled her eyes at Nate, who took a swig of his beer. "I believe we weren't properly introduced last night."

"I'm Cassie." Cassie said quickly. "And you're Chuck, right."

"Right."

"It's nice to meet you. Blair's told me...actually _nothing _about you." She laughed.

"Tsk tsk Waldorf. Have you forgotten your manners? You were always quite the hostess back in high school."

"Forgive me." Blair replied sarcastically. "But I trust that you'll inform Cassie of your lecherous plans, no doubt?"

"You think so lowly of me."

"You give me no choice."

"This is just how they are." Nate interrupted, attempting to inform a confused-looking Cassie as to why her best friend and new male company were seemingly at each others' throats. "They like their banter, right guys?"

"Right." Chuck returned.

"So where are you headed next?" Cassie asked.

"Um, not sure." Nate replied, Blair sitting silently next to him, knowing exactly what was coming next.

"Well do you mind if Blair and I tag along?"

"Not at all." Chuck slipped in. "Although I didn't think Blair was really the tagging kind." He raised his eyebrow at the brunette, who simply shrugged it off.

"I'm not, but there's a first for everything right?"

"Right."

"Well you're the one who's lived here for like, two decades." Nate directed. "How about you show our new man the best places in town?"

Cassie found a smile creeping across her lips, and Blair knew exactly what that meant. "I'd love to."

-

They walked _everywhere _and Blair was pretty sure that the pain in her feet had now crippled her forever, and she'd never be able to slip into anything pretty and high-heeled ever again. Perhaps she just needed more wine to numb her.

Chuck was grating on her now – not just by himself, but with the addition of Cassie, who was taking every opportunity available to sit herself practically in his lap. Nate was oblivious, or if not, was doing a wonderful job of hiding it.

"So where now ladies?" Chuck asked. "And Nathaniel."

"I'm kinda tired actually." Nate replied. "And I've got lacrosse practise tomorrow. Big game coming up against Princeton."

"You've got to be kidding me." Chuck groaned. "The night's still young."

"I'm kinda tired too." Blair faux-yawned. If there was a way for her to get out of this horror show then she'd do her damned hardest to make it happen.

"You're _never _tired when it comes to partying!" Cassie replied. "Are you getting sick or something?"

Blair placed a stray strand of hair behind her shoulder again, mumbling "Must be".

"But I was going to take us to this little place just a couple blocks away. It has every kind of scotch that was ever made and -"

"Say no more." Chuck declared. "I'm a scotch man, and I'm there."

"Great." Cassie smiled.

"So Blair and I will just...see you tomorrow?" Nate asked.

Blair was suddenly wishing she hadn't mentioned being tired. Or sick. Or going out at all.

"But not too early Nathaniel." Chuck called back. "I plan to be very, _very _drunk tonight."

-

"What do you think Chuck meant?" Blair asked as Nate hailed them a cab, and she settled down in the backseat.

"When?"

"When he said that he planned on getting very drunk. Do you think he planned on getting _himself_ drunk, or Cassie drunk?"

"You know Chuck." Nate laughed. "If he's not drunk, it's not a good night."

"Oh my God, they're going to have sex in my bed, aren't they?" Blair gulped. "And now I'm going to have to buy new sheets. God damn it."

"She took him to a bar. She didn't say, 'come and have sex with me'."

"Like he needs telling."

"Would you care if they _did_ sleep together?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

Blair suddenly wished she hadn't even started this conversation. She _hated _where it was going.

"Because!" She huffed. "Cassie's my friend and Chuck's been here, what? _One_ night. So he's going to sleep with her and then go find somebody else. Then she's going to ask me why I let her get involved with the world's biggest ass and then things will get awkward."

Nate laughed. "Nothing like forward thinking."

Blair pouted, arms folded across her chest and Nate continued to probe. "Are you sure it's not because you still love him."

"What? Eww no, I never loved Chuck."

"Well he loved you."

"What?"

"He told me."

"When?"

Nate gulped, judging by the look on Blair's face, realising his best friend had obviously never told her the true extent of his feelings. Ever. "Um...I can't remember. Maybe...maybe it wasn't Chuck, maybe it was someone else..."

"Sounds about right." She mumbled into the cuffs of her coat.

And when the cab dropped them back off at campus, Blair plastered on her new Blair smile, because new Blair wouldn't obsess over tiny details like someone they loved _maybe _having loved them back at some point in the past. New Blair would simply be flattered. And not interested.

"Can I..." Blair trailed off.

"Can you what?"

"It doesn't matter."

"_Okay_..."

"CanIstayatyourstonightbecauseIdon'twantowitnesstheworld'sworstsexsceneandhaveitinmyheadfortherestofthecentury." Blair gabbled, gasping for a little breath at the end.

"What?" Nate laughed.

"Can I stay at yours tonight?"

"Because?"

"Nate, can you just say yes for once without asking questions?"

She had that expression across her face that she often wore in high school when something had gone very, _very _badly wrong.

"Yes."

She would have said thank you, but she wasn't sure there was anything to be thankful about. Her best friend and the boy she still hadn't gotten over would be most likely having sex. In her bedroom. And Blair had an awful feeling that freshman year at college wouldn't be any different to high school.

* * *


	5. Rude Awakenings

**A/N- **Okay so how good was Monday's episode?? I was literally screaming at the screen for her to tell him she loved him but to no avail :( But where would we be if the two of them got together? I like the chase :) Anyway, I want to say thank you to you lovely reviewers, and I figured the least I could do was give you a shout out :)

**Puresimplicity-xo****, sailor cyanide, ****Noirreigne** (Glad you like this Nate, I really don't think much to him in the show, save from 2X07 when he actually had some depth), **Cinnamon Cigarettes, ****Chasitybsp, ****Noelle, ****Mystripedskirt** (Glad you're enjoying Cassie. I wanted to have someone who wasn't a threat to Blair, unlike Serena seemed to be quite often), **Butterflies In My Stomach** (This is a C/B/N fic so I haven't definitely decided how it'll end yet, but if you're worried, all I can say is, take a look at some of my other stories for ideas on the way this might go :P), **al2010, ****:D, ****gossipgirl 7, ****HopelessRomantic44****, SweetSas, ****Flipped, ****Juliana**

Enough from me, hope you enjoy this chapter xxx

* * *

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 4: Rude Awakenings

"I think God hates me." Blair groaned, rubbing her temples to ease the pain throbbing across her head. "And why are you already dressed and perky-looking?" She asked Nate, who was sipping a glass of orange juice, dressed in sweat pants and a wife beater. Not _her _sweatpants and wife beater though. Thank God.

"Because it's kinda hard to get comfy across two chairs so I thought I'd go for a run." He replied. "And why does God hate you?"

"Because I have the worst pain in the history of pains in the world _ever, _shooting across my forehead."

"Worst ever huh? Must be bad. Muffin?" He offered, waving a paper bag above his head.

"If you have no sympathy, then please refrain from sarcasm." Blair replied, throwing back the sheets of Nate's single bed. "That's Chuck's forte. And no muffins. I'd like to keep my calorie count in check today after last night."

"You still do that?" Nate asked, a somewhat concerned expression across his face.

"What?"

"That crazy dieting thing where you starve yourself."

"It's not crazy, it's careful. And I never starved myself."

"_Blair_..."

"Nate I said I didn't want a muffin, not, I'm never going to eat again."

"Good." He nodded, seemingly satisfied. "As long as you won't have to see a doctor, you know..." He dipped his head a little. "Like last time."

Now she was pissed. He hadn't even known that she'd had a problem back then, and yet here he was labelling her a former anorexic, which is wrong anyway, because she was more of a binger-purger.

"I said I'm fine." Blair snapped. "I'll eat the damn muffin if it makes you happy."

"Don't eat it if you don't want it." Nate said, a little confused.

"Hand me the bag."

"Blair..."

"Hand me the damn bag!" She repeated again as Nate gulped, and placed the brown bag in her outstretched hand.

"Are we having a fight about this?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Blair softened a little, rolling her eyes. "We had enough of those back in high school." She glanced up at the clock on the wall. "I should really get going. I need a shower before class."

"Well, have a good day." Nate replied.

"I'm sure I won't."

"Why not?"

"Because Chuck seems to have made it his mission to ruin my life by infiltrating at least one of my economics classes and now apparently my roommate is his next target."

"I'm sure it's just coincidence." Nate laughed. "Or he's lonely and had to come here because he had no friends at Duke."

"Sounds about right." Blair grumbled, curling her nose up as she looked down at herself, dressed in last night's clothes. That she'd slept in. "Anyway, I really should go."

Closing the door behind her, Blair turned towards her room, and clocked Chuck metres away. She considered running back into Nate's room, or dashing to her own, hoping that by the time he turned round, she'd be inside. But instead, her deliberation caught her out, and as Chuck turned and saw her, she watched as his mouth twitched, seemingly caught off-guard too.

"Last night's clothes Waldorf? Classy."

"What would you know about class?"

"Enough to let you know that you're acting below yours."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He eyed her up and down, a strange expression on his face, Blair noted. He was watching her, scrutinising her appearance, and at that moment, she vowed to always look impeccable from then-on.

Chuck failed to answer her question, and Blair shrugged a whatever, making her way to her own room which was, of course, closer to where he was stood.

"Perhaps we should grab a coffee later?" Chuck suggested. "Unless you're doing... _something_ with Nate?"

She hated his hesitation. And the fact that he was suggesting Starbucks over alcohol. That just wasn't like him, and if he was going to be around her, she at least needed Chuck to be...well, Chuck for her to know where she stood. "Coffee?"

"Who am I kidding?" he replied somewhat huskily. It made her shiver. And she was ashamed to enjoy it. "Starbucks isn't going to cut it. You know any good bars round here?"

"Plenty."

"Well..."

"Well my head hurts and martinis before dinner aren't going to solve that." She answered. "So it'll have to be Starbucks. Take it or leave it."

Blair silently cursed for allowing Chuck even a small shed of information like she wasn't feeling her best. Blair Waldorf _never _suffered from hangovers, and she wasn't about to let him think that he was the cause.

"Fine, I'll see whether I can slip a little scotch into my espresso."

"Do you really need scotch with _everything_?"

She hated to sound concerned – she wasn't even that. But she couldn't understand his need for excessive drinking, even if it was only a shot or two. If she had an eating problem then Chuck _definitely _had a drinking problem.

"It just accentuates the taste." Chuck returned.

"Whatever." Blair rolled her eyes. "I'm heading for a shower and then I've got class, so we'll meet at three?"

"Three." Chuck agreed. "And for the record, Starbucks is where?"

"1068 Chapel Street."

They passed each other as she headed towards her door and he headed down the hall, presumably to the library or laundry or something, Blair didn't care. But she felt his eyes on her, and turned around, just as he called her name with a small smirk.

"Oh, and B, sleeping with the ex-boyfriend? So high school."

And with that, he exited their hallway to the stairwell, leaving a bewildered Blair to fathom what he'd just said as she made her way past a still-slumbering Cassie to their shower.

He thought...oh crap, he thought she'd slept with Nate last night. She couldn't understand why she wanted to run after him and tell him the truth, but that seemed like something someone who cared what Chuck thought would do. And new Blair definitely wouldn't care what Chuck Bass thought of her.

But it just seemed like Blair couldn't be new Blair with him around anyway. She really w_as _going to have to step up her game.

-

The walk from campus to Starbucks wasn't exactly a long one, but long enough for Blair's feet to be aching in her new Cavalli boots only half-way to her destination. Still, she preferred to walk rather than take a cab along the streets lined with trees turning yellow and red, the much-crisper Fall air pinching her cheeks to save on blusher. Blair loved the colder months, when even blue skies couldn't warm the ground, when the branches of leafless trees would be etched in frosty white.

Winters back in New York were spent walking through Central Park in snow boots with Serena, getting Ben and Jerry's from stands in the street, a different flavour every time if they could manage it, and sometimes, on weekends, they'd picnic there, bring flasks of hot coffee and eat cookies baked by Dorota that morning.

Back when they were together, Nate would walk her home through Central Park after dinner at some fancy restaurant. They'd hold gloved hands and laugh as they blew their breath out in front of them to make swirling patterns, and he'd kiss the tip of her reddened nose, telling her she looked cute in a beret.

One evening, walking home after a row with Nate, she met Chuck there, and he was just sat by the lake, seemingly enjoying his company. She'd sat herself down and he'd lit a joint, and they'd stared ahead in silence, neither uncomfortable with the other's company. When he'd finished, she told him all about Nate, and then after that, he took her boating in an attempt to lift her spirits. It might have been one of the best nights she'd ever had in her life, and now she's not sure Chuck would even remember.

He was waiting for her when she arrived, unbuttoning her silk mink-coloured trench coat as she sat down. She'd dressed and re-dressed after her shower that morning, putting on practically everything she owned (that was fitting for the season, of course) before deciding on the black tulip skirt that was likened to the stiffened grey one she'd been wearing the previous night, teamed with a new pair of lace stockings and a damson-coloured cashmere cardigan. Yet again, it screamed perfection and well-thought-outness, but now she was dressing for Chuck, and so she knew he'd appreciate the elegance.

It disappointed her slightly, that she felt she needed to look good for him, yet it was exciting too, because until his arrival, nobody had really cared what she was wearing – the fact that she was there was all that mattered. Here, she wasn't judged for her clothes and her shoes, for every Hermes purse and silk hair band, but her efforts never went unnoticed. Girls in her class would comment on the richness of it all, but college wasn't like high school. She wasn't in competition with anybody and therefore, what she wore just didn't seem to matter as much as who she was, and yet she'd managed to establish for herself, a much better character than she'd ever been in high school.

She was Blair Waldorf: hot, fun, popular.

A drink was already waiting for her, steaming hot, with a tiny amaretto biscotti sat beside the cup on a little white napkin. Chuck too, had one, and he gave her a small smile as she took a sip of the hazelnut Americano.

"So New Haven is..."

"A nice city." Blair finished, taking another sip of her drink.

"I was going to say better than Durham, but okay."

"Cut the small talk Chuck, what are you doing here?" Blair asked. "Really?"

"Really?" He repeated. "Really, I hated Duke. I hated North Carolina, I hated my classes..."

"You've always hated class." Blair cut in. "I don't even know why you went to college in the first place."

"I picked Duke because it was far enough away from you and Nate and Serena and Brooklyn." Chuck shuddered as he referred to Dan. "No distractions right? Thought I could make a new start after senior year."

"And?"

"And I'm here, with you and Nate so I guess I failed."

Blair was a little taken aback with his honesty so early on. She thought it would take at least a couple more bar crawls and drunken afternoons before stopped feeding her lies. "So why choose here?"

He seemed to cotton on to the fact that he'd surprised her, and realising that truths were exactly the opposite of what Blair needed to hear right now, he snapped back into old Chuck, because old Chuck wouldn't have been so..._honest_.

"Yale was always where I intended to go to school."

"So you being here has nothing to do with me?"

"Conceited much?"

"Pissing me off much?"

Chuck smirked. "I think you like our banter. And you know what else I think you like Blair? Me being here."

"Yeah." She raised her eyebrows. "About as much as getting sick on Christmas."

"Interesting analogy."

"Your drink's getting cold." Blair said quickly, unable to think of a suitable comeback. She was going to have to provide herself with more ammo for the next time they met.

"So you and Nate are..."

"Friends."

"Who screw each other after bellinis."

"We don't screw." Blair replied haughtily.

"My mistake, you're more classy than that." Chuck corrected. "You 'make love'."

Blair hated the use of inverted commas at the best of times. Teamed with Chuck's signature smirk and raised eyebrows, they were simply mocking her.

"I prefer not to talk about sex with someone who..."

"Made you scream his name. In the back of a limo. On more than one occasion." Chuck cut in, his eyes glinting, and it seemed to be the most reminiscent of the Chuck Bass she knew. And even though he was making her feel like their sordid..._affair _(or whatever it was) was new again, Blair had to stop the conversation. She wasn't going to let him go on an ego trip.

"I was going to say someone who knows nothing about making love, but if you prefer your version, then go with that."

"Actually, I _do _prefer my version because _my _version is the uncut truth."

"No, the uncut truth would be me needing my mind off of Nate and you...well, you needed a victim."

"I don't recall you complaining." Chuck replied, undefeated. "In fact, I seem to remember a certain phone call with you begging me to..."

"Say it and I will stamp the heel of my boot so hard into your foot that you'll never walk properly again." She interrupted through gritted teeth. Chuck didn't finish his sentence, choosing instead, to let a winning simper tug at the corners of his lips.

Pushing Blair's buttons was exactly what he needed to do to know that he still meant something to her, and every reaction, every tiny retaliation meant the world.

She simply sat silently, contently tracing the pattern on her mug with her third finger, toying with the idea that she and Chuck could be friends. They had been, before that night at Victrola, and it had been nice to have somebody there who wasn't going to attempt to outshine her in any way.

But there was still something uneasy about it, about him sitting across from her, drinking a drink without alcohol in it as he simply watched her. But Blair was determined not to slip up, she wasn't going to cave, wasn't going to give in to his advances (whatever or whenever they might be) or let whatever he was planning with Cassie get to her.

She really wanted to know what the two of them had gotten up to last night, but she wouldn't ask because then Cassie would think there was something there between the two of them (which Blair was adamant there wasn't) and Chuck would think that she cared (which she didn't). She just hoped there wouldn't be any PDAs from the two of them any time soon, or if there was, that she wasn't there to witness it.

"You're thinking." He told her.

"You know, nobody gave you enough credit for being a genius." Blair rolled her eyes.

"Defensive. Must have been about me."

"You wish."

"Actually, I do."

"Change the record Chuck."

"I like this one."

Now he'd kind-of confused her, not that Blair would let on. She simply took another sip of her drink and closed her eyes for a longer-than-normal blink. When she opened them again, he was still watching her with that lecherous grin she hated.

"It surprises me that you failed to make friends at Duke."

"Really?"

"No."

His smile made her smile too, and though she tried to tell her lips to stop twitching, they only parted wider until she shook her head, it wouldn't do.

"Fancy a walk?"

"Are you coming on to me?"

"You must really be deluded." Blair replied.

"No, just hopeful."

She finished up her coffee and put on her coat, untucking her brunette hair from between the silk material and her cardigan. "Well keep hoping."

* * *


	6. Scream If

**A/N- **I had to get this posted for today in commemoration of Halloween, so here it is :) To **Blair4eva, Princetongirl, Mystripedskirt, flipped, Aleda, puresimplicity-xo, al2010 **and **smileyface994,** thank you so much for your reviews. It means a lot that you've taken the time to write something. And for **Robin,** who's in the process of creating a fantastic Chuck/Blair website, your emails always make me smile. Keep up the good work girl!

Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and have a Happy Hallowen :)

* * *

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 5: Scream If... 

Chuck didn't normally do running. In fact, he didn't normally do any exercise other than that which involved the removal of ladies' clothing and naked bodies between high thread count sheets. Yet there he was, stood at the start of the track, dressed in a pink polo shirt and grey bottoms at a God-awful time of morning waiting for Nate to show. Lily's suggestion of "other activities" outside of class had pushed him into joining his friend for a training session, and perhaps, he'd thought, some newer muscles would impress Blair. Or any of the ladies he might encounter in the coming weeks.

"Pink?" He heard Nate question and laugh. "You know, you might wanna try blue."

"Why?"

"Because it enhances your eyes." Nate replied sarcastically. Chuck frowned. "Yale colours?" Nate raised his eyebrows, shaking his head.

"I prefer pink." Chuck replied. "Looks good on me."

Nate just chuckled. "You stretched?"

"Yes. When I was putting my socks on."

"I meant properly."

"I know what you meant."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Have you stretched?"

"Are we running or not?"

"Yes but..."

"Then let's run." Chuck huffed, setting off into a short jog, which, when Nate caught up with him, turned into a sprint.

"You're going to regret this tomorrow." Nate laughed as he overtook Chuck, and the newest member of the Yale student body fought hard to keep up.

-

Chuck didn't really showering next to Nate. Well, he didn't_ like_ showering next to any male because that was just...well, if he did, he'd be gay, which he certainly wasn't. There was something about Nate however, that made him feel slightly inferior. It wasn't as though his best friend ever rubbed this in his face (mainly because he was too oblivious to know about it, but even if he did, Chuck was pretty sure that Nate wouldn't ever use it against him) but there was just something about Nate's toned athletic body that got to him.

It wasn't like the two of them were in competition with one another, but Chuck, realising how close Nate and Blair had become in a few short weeks, felt as though he should at least make the effort.

The water ran over his body, splashing at the tiles as Chuck rubbed shower gel across his chest.

"Did you get tickets for tonight?" Nate asked as the two continued to shower.

"For what?"

"The ball."

"What ball?"

"Hallow's Eve."

"They call their ball Hallow's Eve?"

Nate shrugged. "Guess so. You going?"

Chuck scoffed. "Are you?"

"Yeah. Blair and I got tickets weeks ago."

"You're taking _Blair_?"

"I'm not taking her, we're just going together."

Chuck suddenly felt a little sick. And tired. And very, _very _naked. "Shower's lasted long enough Archibald. I'm done."

-

"Oh my God." Blair looked around her dorm room. "Are there any pumpkins left in New Haven?"

Cassie, pondering over what looked to be a recipe book, turned, an orange apron covering her black jeans, shirt and boots combo.

"I thought I'd try my hand at pumpkin carving."

"And _one_ pumpkin wouldn't suffice?"

Cassie shrugged. "I wanted to make pumpkin pie."

"And you dressed highly appropriately for the occasion." Blair replied, her eyes narrowing as she spotted a second apron draped over a chair.

"You didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_, you look like you're wearing that really expensive Chanel blouse I saw in your closet the other day, and if pumpkin gets on it, it's gonna stain."

"But I'm not going anywhere near your...pumpkin carving, so I should be fine." Blair replied, meeting Cassie's expression which almost certainly indicated that she wouldn't be _fine_. "Right?"

"I need help."

"Yeah."

"I mean, with the pie."

"Then go ask Nate. I heard he makes a pretty good...pumpkin-orientated dish..."

"Where did you hear that?"

"In my head."

"Thought so." Cassie laughed. "Come on B, I'm out of my depth, who am I kidding, I can't cook."

"I grew up with a maid and a whole army of chefs. How am I going to help?"

"Well even if you don't help, we'll look good in our aprons, which for the record, I bought for us. So really, you _have _to join me. Besides, I think I over did it when I bought the pumpkins."

"You think?" The brunette laughed, sighing. "Hand me the apron."

-

Blair couldn't remember ever seeing a recipe book in her house before, let alone having the mother/daughter 'cooking classes' that Cassie had apparently had. Still, they obviously hadn't accounted for much, as the blonde only seemed to be able to make fairy cakes and crispy crackles, and in the word of pumpkin pie, fairy cakes just wouldn't cut it.

Nate had, however, joined them before the carving got fully underway, and luckily for the girls, the oven had now been correctly set to the right temperature.

"What do you roll the pastry with?" Blair asked, flour dust from the bag Cassie was clutching settling on her nose.

"Um...try a rolling pin." Nate laughed.

Blair looked to Cassie. "Do we have one of those?"

"I don't remember seeing one."

"Well I know _I _don't have one." Blair replied. "So if you don't, then _we _don't have one."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I guess I should have gone shopping for utensils before I started."

"U-what-sils?" Blair asked.

"Utensils?" Cassie repeated. "Those things that make cooking possibly; spoons, ladles...rolling pins."

Nate laughed. "Blair had maids. I don't think she's even so much as opened an oven in her life."

"Hey!"

"It's true."

"It's not like _you_ didn't have cooks preparing your Sunday brunch." Blair countered.

Cassie frowned, half confused, half in awe. "Sunday brunch?"

"Upper East Side tradition."

"Which involes..."

"Canapés, Cartier and a whole lot of cocaine." Blair finished, cringing as she caught Nate's expression change from happy to nervous, and then quickly back again.

"Sounds pretty crazy." Cassie replied.

"Pretty boring actually. Sundays are supposed to be for lie-ins and telenovela re-runs."

"Did I just hear Blair Waldorf mention the words Sunday and telenovela in the same sentence?" Chuck asked, appearing in the doorway from seemingly nowhere.

"Don't you knock?"

"Yes." Chuck replied. "But only when I need to."

Blair widened her eyes.

"What? Was I interrupting something?"

"Just world peace." Blair muttered.

"Not at all." Cassie smiled. "Actually, you can help."

"Help with what?"

"We're making pumpkin pie."

"Waldorf and cookery? Now this is something I'd like to see."

He joined the group by the counter, all frowning at the ball of pastry sat in the middle of what appeared to be a flour storm.

"So how do we make it into the lid Nate?" Cassie asked.

Chuck snorted. "You're asking _Nate _for cooking advice? What are you my man, the next Martha Stewart?"

"No, but I got them this far." Nate gestured to the filling in the glass dish.

"And that lump of...orange stuff over there is..."

"Leftovers." Cassie nodded.

"Huh." Chuck raised his eyebrow at Nate, who instantly got the message, grabbing Cassie as Chuck grabbed Blair, smearing pumpkin pulp across her face.

"Oh my GOD, Chuck Bass you did _not _just get pumpkin on my blouse!" Blair shrieked, body stiff as he held her against him. Nate backed off of Cassie, giving the two girls enough leeway to grab a fistful of pulp, laughing as they spun around to cover the unsuspecting boys.

"Scream if you don't like pulp under your shirt!" Cassie announced, laughing as she hurled her fistful of pumpkin underneath Nate's shirt. Yelping, he grabbed hold of her wrists, holding them together as he used his free hand to take hold of some of the pulp, wiping it across her blonde hair.

"Scream if you don't want flour on your face." Nate announced, grabbing the bag to arm himself with a handful.

Chuck followed suit, holding Blair against him as he manoeuvred his way with her across to Nate for some flour.

"Stop manhandling me Bass!" Blair squealed, trying to free herself from Chuck's grasp. He only held her tighter as he smirked, dipping his head.

"I always thought you liked me manhandling you. You didn't seem to mind in the li-"

She quickly reached for some more pulp, smearing it behind her, her hand landing somewhere underneath his shirt, pulp splattering up his back. Chuck managed to pinch some flour, smudging it across Blair's open lips, leaving them burning as her body seemed to go numb.

Her legs left her unsteady, and she let herself fall, Cassie too, into a heap on the floor, both boys laughing as they stood proudly with another handful of pulp at the ready.

Cassie's hair was covered in orange goo, sprinkled with a light dusting of flour, and Blair's shirt was almost definitely ruined, her eyes glossy with laughter, flour having fallen perfectly across her cheeks.

Chuck wasn't sure he'd ever seen her look as carefree and happy as in that moment, and yet, there was something about it that he couldn't shake off. The Blair he'd known in high school wouldn't have even attempted pie-making, let alone taken part in a food fight. And Chuck wasn't sure he liked it.

He didn't know new Blair, and new Blair didn't seem to care. She wasn't bothered that he had no idea of her life or the way she lived it or her priorities, but he still wanted her. And yet, there had to be a reason, he figured, for the change in behaviour.

And he'd find out.

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	7. Ghosts

**A/N- **I know it's been a while since I last updated, but I had the small matter of a 3000 word essay to do. Stupid essays getting in the way of nights out :( Anyway, I'm back with a couple future chapters written for this (I'm trying to plan it so I get the holiday chapters in at the right time. I had to do reserach to find out when Thanksgiving is since I had no idea! I _am _English, if that makes a difference?) So thanks are listed below, and on with number 6 :)

**LynniePearl, :D, princetongirl, al2010, Blood Red Kiss Of Death, flipped, puresimplicity-xo, Blair4eva, **and the fabulous **Robin **who needs to let me know when her site gets up and running! Thanks for your reviews guys :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 6: Ghosts

She looked absolutely one thousand percent amazing. Her hair was curled in those chocolate brown ringlets he used to dream about tangling in his fingers, sitting pretty halfway down her back, the plunging backline of her emerald dress revealing skin that his hands had roamed over on only a few choice occasions.

The dress reached the floor, a fur wrap draped over her left arm sitting on top of her purse, three inch heels just poking out delicately from underneath it all. The elegance, the sheer stature of it all was amazing, and she'd taken his damn breath away. Again.

And then Chuck caught Nate looking at her in a way he'd never seen before, a look that he hadn't even managed to master while the two of them had been dating. She knew she looked good, and that made it worse, because her smile, with a slight trace of a smirk playing at the corners of her lips (after all, he would know) was probably one of the most genuine he'd ever seen. So he turned back to his book, because six hundred words about the tertiary industry seemed more appealing than watching his best friend look at Blair in the way he was.

Nate was still watching her as she fiddled with her earring, and Chuck just wanted to yell at him for making so much more of his second chance than he'd done. But he kept quiet, pretended not to notice too much as Cassie cooed over the necklace and the purse and the dress and the hair slide and everything else, snapping away with her camera as Nate finally removed his eyes long enough from her body to take a sip from the bottle of beer he was holding.

Chuck wanted to tell her that she looked effing gorgeous, like some goddess created by the finest of sculptors, and that if she were his, he'd have her right there and then, because there would be too many things he wanted to do to her, wanted her to feel in that moment.

But he stayed silent and instead, Nate told her politely "You look...wow."

She looked to Chuck for approval (he took pride on sensing this without looking up) and he cleared his throat, not wanting to be caught off-guard as she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Nice ass Waldorf."

He managed a smirk and a raise of his own eyebrows, and in his head, he was planning his Oscar speech for such a convincing performance. Blair just rolled her eyes and tutted at him like she always had done before, and even if it wasn't words, the suppressed smile tugging at the corners of her mouth comforted him somewhat.

She reacted to him, and therefore, he still had something on her.

"You want a drink?" Nate asked, holding up his beer.

"From a bottle?" She curled up her nose. "No thank you."

Cassie laughed. "This from the girl who was drinking Moët and Chandon straight from the bottle the other week."

Blair mock-glared back at her friend before rolling her eyes. "That was a low point."

"A low point Waldorf?" Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Thinking about how you missed valuable time with me?"

"I _was _thinking about you actually." She replied, sickeningly sweetly as Chuck smirked somewhat proudly. "I was thinking about how desperate I must have been. Victrola..." She trailed off. "Was a dark, dark night. One that I'm adamant I'll never revisit."

"Wait, you told me you guys were never together!" Cassie interrupted.

"We weren't." Blair told her. "It was one limo, one night, one time."

"I see you've forgotten how to count." Chuck commented, turning to Cassie with a whisper. "Four times."

"In a limo?" Cassie asked. "That's so romantic."

Blair shook her head. "Not so much."

"Um guys." Nate cleared his throat. "Kinda don't want to hear this conversation."

Blair straightened her posture. "Sorry."

"So are you having a beer?"

She looked to Chuck, and back to Nate before shrugging. "Sure."

"My, my, Queen B with almost zero class." Chuck shook his head.

"And yet, I still have more than you. Guess some things never change."

"And apparently, some things do."

"Correct Bass. You don't know me anymore, so you can stop making brash judgements about my life and whatever poor choices I made in the past."

She was right. He didn't know her, and he hated it and yet, she didn't appear to care whether he figured her out or not. The only thing she seemed to care about right now, was Nate's arm, for the night's ball.

So if he couldn't have her in that moment, Chuck figured he'd have to go for the next best thing: Cassie.

-

"He's jealous." Nate told Blair with a coy grin as he handed her some orange concoction that she deemed in her head to be some sort of Halloween punch.

"Who?"

"Chuck. You should have seen how he was looking at you when you walked into my room."

Blair only shrugged. "He deserves to be."

"What happened between you two?" Nate asked. "When you were supposed to go to Europe, something happened."

She shrugged again. "Chuck was...Chuck."

"What do you mean?"

Blair raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"He cheated on you? But-"

"He didn't cheat." Blair interrupted quickly. She wouldn't be branded as the wronged woman yet again. "We were never really together so..."

"But he loved you."

She shook her head. "No he didn't."

"He did, he told me."

"When?"

It was this same conversation they'd had in the cab after Chuck's first night out in New Haven. And now Blair wasn't sure she wanted the answer.

"At his father's wedding. We were outside on the steps, figuring out some stuff with my dad and coke and..." Nate shook his head. "He told me he loved you."

She almost chocked on her punch, but quickly managed to compose herself without much indication from Nate that he'd noticed her reaction. "Loved is past tense. So it doesn't really matter now, does it?"

Nate shrugged. "Guess not."

"Anyway, Chuck's not here, and he's wormed his way into our conversation, so let's change the topic. Can you believe the dress that Hannah Miller's wearing? Two words: taffeta overload."

Nate chuckled, and Blair's grin widened. "Do you wanna dance?"

-

"So Blair looked stunning tonight huh?" Cassie asked Chuck, grabbing a beer for herself from Nate's refrigerator, undeterred by the fact that he had left his room open to the two of them.

Chuck shrugged a shoulder. "If you like that sort of thing."

"And what do you like?"

He closed his book with a composed smile. "I like a girl who isn't afraid to be herself. One that doesn't have to act in a way that... woah." He stopped himself. "I don't like to talk on an empty stomach."

"You want to get something to eat? There's this great little Chinese restaurant that-"

"I was thinking along the lines of something a little more...productive." Chuck cut in.

"Italian?"

"Scotch. I trust you know where Nate keeps his glasses."

"Top cupboard on the left." Cassie nodded.

"Then would you do the honours." He gestured to the bottles on the counter. "I like mine sans ice."

-

He walked her to her door like a true gentleman, like someone Chuck would never be, and yet for some reason, she missed the lewd comments, the banter, the blatant groping.

He handed Blair her purse, kissed her on the cheek and told her that he'd had a great night, and it was nice to go out as just the two of them, rather than in the large crowd of lacrosse players he usually spent his nights with.

"Are you sure you don't want a drink or something before you head to bed?" Nate asked. "A bagel even?"

Blair laughed. A bagel was the last thing she wanted right now, besides, there was probably a ton of pumpkin pie to wade through. "I'm kinda tired actually. Just want more than six hours sleep."

"You can't sleep?"

"Oh I can sleep. It's just Cassie who can't. I don't see why I had to get the morning person roommate and you got the good deal."

"The good deal?" Nate chuckled. "Dylan's never in, and when he is, I'm pretty sure he's dealing coke."

"Seriously?"

Nate shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not like he's in much anyway."

"Where does he sleep?"

"I'm actually not sure. I can't believe there are so many girls out there who'd sleep with a cokehead."

"You and Chuck always used to smoke pot."

"That was different."

"How? Because I used to turn a blind eye?"

He shrugged, a little uncomfortable. "You were good at that. The blind eye thing I mean."

Now it was Blair's turn to shrug. "I had to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the things I pretended not to know would have ruined that perfect little romance movie I had playing in my head."

"Serena?"

She nodded.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up, I wasn't-"

"It's fine." She waved it away. "Really. We should have broken up a long time before we did."

Nate frowned. "We were good together sometimes."

"I know."

"Like the winters."

"When you'd walk me through Central Park after dinner." Blair remembered.

"And when my mom was going through her annual holiday meltdown." Nate added.

"And when mine was ordering the caterers to make way too much food."

"You _did _have an awful lot of leftover turkey."

"Christmas was the only time I ever saw Dorota eat what we were eating."

"Do you miss her?" Nate asked.

"My mom?"

"Dorota."

Blair laughed. "Actually, I do. You know, my mom hasn't even called my while I've been here? Dorota writes me every week."

"You were always like her daughter."

"Eww! The daughter of a poor person?"

"I meant, the way she looked at you." Nate laughed. "When she used to brush your hair when you were little, and when she used to make you eat every single grape on your plate throughout high school."

"You noticed things like that?"

"Contrary to what you might think, I _did _love you Blair."

She blushes, tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. "Well, I guess I should go to bed. I've got early class tomorrow and I'm not sure I've psyched myself up enough to be in the same room as that Basstard."

Nate kissed her again, this time on the other cheek as they wished each other goodnight. Again.

Nate retreated to his own room, and Blair entered hers, turning the knob of the door quietly so as not to disturb Cassie. But the sight she was met with was enough to leave her disturbed for life.

There were clothes strewn across the floor, Cassie's shirt draped over the back of a chair, a shoe against the skirting...and then a belt. A horribly familiar tan leather belt she'd seen on various pairs of extravagant pants. _Chuck's _belt.

Pushing open the door of their bedroom, Blair quickly shut it again. She'd looked for all of two seconds, yet she was pretty sure the image would stay with her for life. Chuck was slumbering, not deeply, but slumbering nonetheless apparently naked, save for a naked Cassie draping an arm loosely over his chest.

He wasn't hers, never had been, never would be, and yet Blair couldn't help but feel violated, like her blonde friend was trying to claim _her _territory. It was terribly reminiscent of high school, of Serena and Nate, and still it was worse because now she had no reason to feel so...angry. They were ghosts of two years ago, and Blair wasn't going to go through it all again.

Grabbing the pumpkin pie from the kitchen counter, she closed the main door behind her, leaving her heels inside as she walked barefoot across to Nate's door.

His eyes were narrowed when he opened it, but quickly widened when he saw her stood before him with a pie dish in one hand, the other on her hip.

"Blair?"

"They had sex. In my room." She charged past him. "I need pie."

"Chuck and Cassie? But I thought..."

"Nate, forks!" Blair demanded as he closed the door after her. She didn't wait for him to get them, but found them herself, spooning in a giant mouthful straight after she'd finished her first.

"Are you sure they had sex?" He asked. "Maybe they were watching a movie."

"What movie? Frisky business? Batman and Throbin?"

Nate chuckled. "I didn't know you were into porn?"

Blair curled up her nose in disgust. "I'm not."

"You know the titles."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, so I've seen a few adult movies in my time, is there a problem with that?"

"No."

"Right then."

"So there's no problem with Chuck and Cassie?"

"Wrong Nate. There _is _a problem with Chuck and Cassie because she's my best friend and he's my..." She trailed off. What exactly _was he? _"Just eat the damn pie." She muttered, stuffing another forkful into her mouth.

She'd have to get him back for this.

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	8. Visual Pollution

**A/N - **You guys are awesome! Seriously, **Me, Blood Red Kiss of Death, skittles, Miss Anthrope, ashtondene, LynniePearl, Crimson-Kiss17, al2010, lunza, princetongirl, :D, j., x..x.x, PrincessCheese, puresimplicity-xo, flipped, SimplyShelbySJL, chasitybsp, sailor cyanide, kaesaku, Princess Persephone, mans, xcrazyangelx1800, brookeb566 **and** Edwardslover09** thank you soooooo much for your reviews. Here's a little filler chapter, just cos I wanted to get my Thanksgiving chapter in relatively on time (though I guess it'll be a little after the actual day) and adding this to the next chapter would just make it way too long. I'll shut up now, enjoy :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 7: Visual Pollution

The room was just as messy as it had been the previous night: clothes were still scattered across the floor, draped over items of furniture, Cassie's shoes still lying haphazardly on the carpet by the skirting. Only now, half were missing – the male half, the half that Blair hadn't expected to find the night before, yet should have known she would all the same.

Pumpkins were still on the kitchen counter, eyes and mouths cut out, no candles in them, just sitting, not particularly pretty, seemingly waiting for Blair to destroy the peace. Perhaps old Blair would have. Old Blair would have stormed right into their shared bedroom, a glass of cold water in hand maybe, all guns blazing as she demanded a response. But she's new Blair now, and getting upset over Chuck and Cassie...tussling wouldn't clear up her confusion. So Blair simply turned on her heels and flounced back to Nate's room in the hope that he'd offer her a cup of coffee and vow silently not to ask whether she was okay.

"I need a shower." She told Nate, who once again looked surprised when answering the door. It was beginning to become a regular thing: her turning up at his door, and though Blair didn't particularly enjoy it, she didn't hate it either.

She didn't wait for him to open the door any wider, just barged past anyway.

"Chuck still there?"

"No."

"Then why..."

"I just don't want to be there when she wakes up and realizes he's the world's biggest ass."

"Or maybe you don't want to admit that you're jealous."

Had he offered her a coffee, she'd have been choking on it right now. "Jealous?" Blair scoffed. "Of what?"

"Of Cassie and Chuck."

"Why would I be jealous of them? If I wanted to be part of a couple, there are plenty of willing guys out there I could have."

"Yeah." He agreed with a knowing smile. "But you only want Chuck, and he won't give you that."

"You know what Nate, this isn't Oprah and I don't need my ex-boyfriend psycho-analysing me." She huffed past him once again. "I'm using your shower."

-

"Group essay time!" The professor announced with a grin that wrongly suggested this was something much more exciting than what it really was. "Only it's not so much groups this time, more pairs." He elaborated.

Chuck could see Blair across the room biting the end of her pen: something she always did when she was nervous, or agitated. The expression on her face suggested the latter. She was wearing one of her prettier skirts: the kind she reserved mainly for special occasions. This one was cream silk, lace underneath with an intricate navy flower pattern that she'd paired with tights, or more likely, sheer stockings and her heels from last night.

Everything about the outfit was perfect until his eyes reached her stomach, toned pale flesh covered by horrible blue material, the same horrible blue that was often covering Nate. And then Chuck realised that she was wearing his sweater, his _Yale _sweater, his _team _sweater.

Glancing back to her skirt, he remembered that he'd seen it before, in Nate's top drawer: the same top drawer he'd allocated for a few of her items of clothing. And her shoes...her shoes were the previous night's too, and it was then that Chuck realised Blair hadn't been back to her own room after the Ball, but instead, had slept at Nate's.

He should be glad then, he figured, that she hadn't found him with Cassie. But he'd done something he'd regretted with a person he'd regretted doing it with, and none of it would make a difference because Blair wouldn't know. And his relief was tinged with sickness, with disgust that she'd slept in Nate's bed yet again, and now he was reclaiming her, with a damn sweater the prize possession.

He was losing her to Nate again.

Now he wasn't sure what he could do to get her back.

"Names will be posted outside the door at the end of this class." The professor told them, throwing Chuck back into reality. "Areas of discussion will be assigned next to each pair. You'll have 5,000 words to explain your topic with reference to at least one piece of data. Oh, and I have a copy of everybody's pair and area of discussion so there's no room for switching."

Chuck rolled his eyes. He'd probably either get stuck with somebody who didn't give a crap, or somebody like Dan Humphrey who would take the whole thing way too seriously.

The end of class didn't come soon enough, and after she'd bolted towards the information board, Blair grimaced as she read the name of her partner. Someone up there _had _to be kidding.

"Nice shout professor." She heard Chuck leer, and it was right about then that her brain took a little holiday to panic-ville, where Blair contemplated leaving Yale and running away to Berkley with Serena, or heading straight out of the building towards the nearest road in hope that a speeding cab would be coming along. Except by the time her brain had corrected itself and she was coherent again, her mouth was already agreeing to meet Chuck in the library later on that day: 2pm for the record.

Damn reflexes.

-

She'd already gotten the books open on the right pages, her computer listing possible streets around New Haven with heavy areas of visual pollution, with online petitions concerning the possible erection of new buildings when Chuck shattered her peace, two paper cups containing something from Starbucks in his hands.

"I really hope there's alcohol in that." She muttered, clearly not quietly enough as she drew a frown from his forehead.

"Are we here to flirt, or are we here to make sense of this assignment?" Chuck asked with a smirk.

"I've already made sense of it." Blair replied. "In fact, I know _exactly_ what I'm doing."

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow.

She nodded, trying to act like the book in front of her was holding her attention.

"Right then, visual pollution."

"_You're _visual pollution." Blair muttered. "I'm trying to study and it's not possible with you...here."

"The only visual pollution I see around here is your clothes." Chuck replied. "Perhaps if you took them off, the sight would be more...sightly."

"I hate you."

"Now you and I both know that isn't true."

"We really need to get this assignment done so that I can go back to ignoring you."

"Well that's not very nice."

"Perhaps I'm not a very nice person."

"You've just realised?"

"Can you just take a break from pissing me off and get back to visual pollution."

"Visual pollution. A fine example would be you on Nathaniel's arm last night."

"I think you're jealous."

"And I think you went with him to _make _me jealous."

"Then it clearly worked."

"So you're trying to get to me. Not mature, but I like a good game as much as the next person."

"It's not a game Chuck. I was done playing games in high school."

Chuck narrowed his eyes. "You know, you talk like you've changed, like high school was a million years ago and you're better than that now. Except you haven't, it wasn't and you're no better than you were senior year."

"Well, it's hard to perfect perfection."

"A big ego leads to a big fall."

"I always hated your cryptic wording."

"Because you didn't get it."

"Oh I get it." Blair replied. "But I'm done Chuck. You can sleep with Cassie as many times as you want. You can sleep with the whole freaking female population in this place and I won't give a damn because I don't care anymore."

"You know about..."

" _We're_ nothing." She shrugged trying to be as nonchalant as possible. "I'm over you."

He sat silently for a minute, as if working out what to say. But he only pursed his lips and took hold of the textbook again. "Visual pollution: an unwanted change in appearance."

"I'm glad you're finally taking this seriously."

"We write this and then I'll leave you alone like you wanted. The quicker we're done, the sooner you can forget about me right?"

"Chuck..."

"How about you write the intro and the conclusion. I'll do the statistics bit, get the evidence and then you don't even have to sit next to me. We'll just meet to put it together."

He left the book on the table and left the library without a second look back. All Blair wanted was to take back everything she'd said, and everything she'd done the previous night. But then she remembered that this would just be a minor blip on new Blair's judgement. New Blair would feel guilty for nothing because it wasn't her fault, it was Chuck's because he'd slept with the one girl he knew she wouldn't be able to handle him sleeping with. Only he'd forced her to be someone else now, and new Blair would take to the nearest wine bar in a pair of the latest Manolos without a second thought.

And that's what she did.

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	9. Never Quite Enough

**A/N- **To **Gaara-L0ve, Skittles, LynniePearl, Edwardslover09, ashtondene, SimplyShelbySJL, SugarRune, Bridgeteebeethequeen, norapwiu130, anonymous, princetongirl, Red Blood Kiss of Death, al2010, mimi, chasitybsp, :D, x..x.x, pop, puresimplicity-xo, **and **flipped** I LOVE you guys! Thank you so much for your reviews. I don't want to ramble, so here's number 7. Thing is, as I'm English and we don't have Thanksgiving over here, I had to guess that the colleges would get a break for the hoilday for a week or so? Is that right? Well either way, this is the chapter before everyone heads back to the UES, so for those of you who want to know more about Serena...just one chapter to wait :)

Hope you all enjoy

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 8: Never Quite Enough

"Chuck, have you seen Blair I've got like a hundred missed..." Nate trailed off, as he peered around his best friend's bedroom door, greeted by the sight of his ex-girlfriend and him wrapped in each other's arms.

From what he could tell, Blair was still wearing a dress and even Chuck had on a striped shirt; matching the corduroy pants poking out from under the sheets. And then he noticed the black smudges down Blair's face, the same kind of smudges he'd seen on Serena so many times after heavy drinking sessions.

He wasn't sure why Blair had been drinking, why she'd called him so many times, and he certainly wasn't sure why she was now curled up against a fully-clothed Chuck, but she was and Nate was pretty sure he didn't like it.

He was about to leave, head to the track, run a couple laps really hard and pretend he hadn't seen anything. But then Chuck stirred awake and Nate was left with nowhere to escape to.

"Nathaniel?"

"I was just...Is she alright?" He asked, gesturing to Blair who was still fast asleep against Chuck's chest. It was the kind of thing he'd never imagined he'd see from the two of them: even when he'd heard they were together (or at least when they were whatever they were for that short period of time) he hadn't imagined they'd...cuddle. Although Nate figured it couldn't really be cuddling because it appeared to be very one-sided, and if Blair wasn't drunk and unconscious, he was pretty sure she wouldn't even be in that bed in the first place.

He shook his own head to remove all fleeting thoughts as Chuck sighed hoarsely. "I'm not sure."

"Tell me she's not like this because of you."

"What?"

"Well I never saw her like this before you came here."

"I wasn't even _with_ her last night!" Chuck fumed as quietly as he could so as not to disturb the girl in question.

"Then why is she in your bed?" Nate fumed, not even sure where he was going with his line of questioning because it was apparent that nothing untoward had happened.

"If you must know, it's because she a_sked _me to take her back to this room last night."

"You said you weren't with her last night."

"I picked her up after she called me at two in the morning. _Not _the best time to be woken up I'm sure you'll understand, but obviously I tended to her call."

"Damn it." Nate cursed, not quietly enough, as Chuck frowned.

"What?"

"That's what all those calls were about last night, I must have been asleep and not heard my phone..."

"She called you?"

Nate shrugged. "Like ten times." He caught the look on Chuck's face: the one that screamed disappointment and rejection. "But good thing you were here right? And look, I'm sorry about earlier man, I was just worried about Bl-"

"Maybe we should talk about this later." Chuck replied somewhat coldly. "I don't want to wake her up too prematurely. Besides, we've got class later and I'm pretty sure they're going to load us down with assignments just in time for Thanksgiving."

"Okay, well just let me know if you want me to...watch her or something." Nate mumbled, closing the door as Chuck let his head drop against the pillow.

_Watch her? What was she, a child?_

He'd done pretty well at the whole looking-after-Blair kind of thing the previous night, especially since he hadn't had much first-hand experience of dealing with drunkards, and extra-especially when said drunkard was teetering around on expensive heels, countless martinis in her bloodstream as she rambled about how she knew _he'd_ come.

He hadn't known what she'd meant until now, but Chuck felt stupid for taking so long to realise that Nate still came first. Even now, it seemed, he was never quite enough.

-

_Chuck was almost out of breath by the time he reached Blair, but slowed down as he came into view to avoid any suspicions that he might have been in a hurry to get to her._

_Her dress was still immaculate, as was her hair, her makeup, every thread in her stockings, and it made Chuck wonder what he was doing there. But then he realised that she was sitting on the curb, dangling her purse and suddenly it wasn't so much panic that was flooding him, but more like laughter._

"_Waldorf drunk in Dolce and...solo?" Chuck's eyes scanned the crowd outside of the bar for Cassie or anyone they knew mutually. "Now this __**is**__ visual pollution."_

"_Visual pollution would be you, actually."_

"_Insults?"_

"_Why are you smirking?" She curled up her nose at him. "Ass."_

"_You asked me to come, remember?"_

"_Perhaps I tried to block it out."_

"_It was twenty minutes ago."_

"_Then what took you so long?"_

"_I was in bed."_

"_Gross."_

"_Asleep."_

"_Oh."_

"_Well are you coming with me or are you just going to sit there like a dirty hooker waiting for her latest trick?"_

_Her eyes narrowed and she scoffed at him._

"_Look Blair, you asked me to come get you and I'm really not in the mood so-"_

"_I knew you'd come." She cut in._

"_What do you-" _

"_Chuck..." Blair faltered, not able to fully comprehend everything he (or even herself for that matter) was saying. "Just...take me to your room."_

"_But I thought-"_

_She cut in again, eyes glazed and unfocused. "Please."_

-

"Urgh." Blair groaned reaching her hand out to feel for her eye mask. Only her eye mask wasn't over her eyes, and when she opened them, she realised that she wasn't even in her own bed, but instead, sleeping next to...Chuck.

"Morning Waldorf." He raised his eyebrows. "Or should I say, midday?"

"What time is it?"

"Gone one."

"In the morning?"

"Yes. And also in the afternoon."

"What? But we have class."

"Correction. We _had _class, but sadly, your little drunken display last night caused us to miss it."

She tried to sit upright but found that her leg was locked somewhere with Chuck's, and somehow her left hand had made its way to his chest. "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to know that you talk in your sleep."

"I do not."

"I disagree."

"Well what do I say then?"

"Something along the lines of...Chuck...limo sex...f-"

Blair brought her knee up to Chuck's crotch pretty sharply, causing him to cut his sentence short before he was done. "Ow woman, what the hell was that for?"

"Lying."

"I didn't lie. You really did mention limo sex in the same sentence as my name." He replied, frowning through the pain in his _area_. It _was _true. And that was the reason why he'd allowed the two of them to miss class. If Blair could mention limo sex, he was curious as to what else she might dream about.

"Oh really?" She argued. "Was the sentence 'Chuck Bass, I can't believe I ever had limo sex with you!"

"No." He smirked. "More like 'Chuck...more...limo...n-"

Her knee took to his crotch again, and this time Chuck flung back the sheets in agony. "I refuse to be beaten by a woman in my own bed." He pointed to the door. "I think you should leave."

Blair was about to roll her eyes, but then realising he was serious, screwed up her nose instead before slamming the door behind her. "Gladly!"

-

Nate was halfway through making notes on what he would have classed as one of the world's most boring books when there was a knock on his door. Getting up, he sighed, chuckling as he opened the door.

"You know Blair, you come over that often you don't really need to kn...Cassie..." He changed as his eyes focused on the worried-looking blonde stood in front of him.

"Hey Nate. Can I come in?"

"Sure, is this..."

"Is Blair here?"

"No, I think she's got class or-"

"It was you I wanted actually." She cut in breathlessly.

"Are you okay?

"Yeah...well, no. I...God Nate, I did something really stupid last night and if Blair found out..."

"You mean sleeping with Chuck?"

"He told you?"

"No, Blair did actually."

"Chuck told _Blair_?"

"No, she saw you guys."

"When?"

"The other night when we got home from the Hallow's Eve Ball."

"Oh crap." Cassie sunk down onto one of Nate's stools. "I wanted to tell her about this. I wanted to apologise for-"

"You still can." Nate offered.

"But now she's going to know I left it two days before I told her. I'm such a bitch, it's just..."

"Why did you do it?" Nate asked. "I mean, it's not like you didn't know there was something between them."

"But Blair said nothing happened. She said her and Chuck weren't even friends, just that he'd been your best friend in high school, and so that's why they hung out."

Nate shook his head, a half smile for his ex-girlfriend's attempts to downplay any kind of relationship she'd ever had with anyone. "The thing with Blair is that she cares about what other people think. Or at least, that's how she is back home."

Cassie frowned. "What do you mean?"

"To cut a _very _long story short, Blair and I dated since, like, forever. But there was...some stuff I did...that I'm not proud of, and it hurt Blair. Chuck was just the one who was there when she needed someone."

"But what about you?"

Nate shrugged. "I wasn't."

"So what happened between them?"

Nate shifted in his own seat, not quite sure of where to go next. "Look, all you need to know from me is that neither me or Chuck treated Blair how we should have. She deserved more." He shrugged again. "If you need to know anything else, you should ask her."

"Thanks." She whispered. "I should really try and find Blair."

Nate nodded with a small smile. "Oh, and Cass? "

"Yeah?"

"When Blair tells you that 'nothing happened' between her and someone, not to read into something, or that she hates them, or if she's generally avoiding them at all costs...it's normally because there's something there."

Cassie nodded appreciatively. "Got it."

-

Blair sighed out loud as she rested her body against the wall of the shower, letting the hot water wash away the last remnants of heavy mascara from the previous night. She was pissed that she'd managed to miss one of her last classes before the Thanksgiving break, and confused as to why Chuck had allowed her too when he knew fine well she hated being unpunctual.

She also hated waking up in the morning (or afternoon as today had been) with no recollection of what had happened the previous night, and with no control over her limbs that appeared quite happy to be nestled amongst Chuck's.

Wrapping herself in a towel, she left the bathroom to find Cassie biting her nails nervously in the living room.

"There's no excuse for chipped nail polish." She told the blonde with a small smile on her face.

"Hey B." Cassie forced a smile. "You didn't come back last night."

Blair shrugged. "Yeah I went out."

"Who with?"

"Oh you know... just a couple people from my class." She lied.

"Good night?" Their conversation was forced as Cassie continued. "You didn't sleep here so..."

"Look Cass." She cut in, hair still wet against her towel-clad body. "I know about you and Chuck so can we just move past this awkwardness and go back to normal?"

"Oh Blair I'm sorry." The blonde replied honestly. "I shouldn't have gone there, I should have realised..."

"It's fine. I told you nothing happened between us so it's my fault...It's not like we were ever together so..."

"But you have history."

"_Everybody _has history Cass."

"Yeah, but not like you guys."

"How do you..."

"Nate told me." The blonde replied.

"He did? I'm going to k-"

"B, he was watching out for you, he didn't tell me much anyway."

"Well-"

"And if last night was anything to go by, I expect he'll be doing that a lot more often."

"What do you mean?" Blair asked.

"I mean he'll be looking out for you."

The brunette frowned in suspicion. "Well, Chuck didn't look at me the whole time. It was like I wasn't even there, like he was wishing..."

"No." Blair shook her head.

"It was you."

Blair closed her eyes, sighed, and then realised that this whole thing wasn't worth the kind of analysis it was getting. "I'd rather just forget about it. If you and Chuck want to...you know...then it's totally between you guys, nothing to do with me."

Cassie shook her head. "We won't."

Blair shrugged. "Fine."

"So we're still friends?"

She rolled her eyes laughing. "Of course we are."

"Good, 'cos I didn't want you to go back to Manhattan hating me."

"I won't, but just don't sleep with Nate within the next couple weeks." She laughed. "I'm not sure my eyesight would be the same again."

Cassie shook her head, laughing too. "I won't. And is that a little Nate-lovin' I sense there?"

"No Cassie, it isn't, so don't read anything into it."

It was when she'd replied that Blair couldn't help but feel a little weird, like she'd just lied about something. Something other than her true feelings for Nate.

And then Cassie remembered Nate's comment.

"_When Blair tells you that 'nothing happened' between her and someone, not to read into something...it's normally because there's something there."_

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	10. Not So Much Thanksgiving

**A/N- **MASSIVE thanks to Blood Red Kiss of Death, , SimplyShelbySJL, :D, ashtondene, LynniePearl, lunza, Heavenlydoll, blacklace922, Edwardslover09, PureSimplicity-xo, Princetongirl, simplybored, Cameran, YouSure, mystripedskirt, chasitybsp, Gaara-Love, sailor cyanide, bookworm455, al2010, and to flipped: (If I can still keep you guessing as to who Blair is going to end up with, then I'm doing my job J and I'm glad you like that it's not too simple.) You guys are so awesome for reviewing.

Initially, I was only going to post one Thanksgiving chapter but this one is already rather long, so I thought, why not split it into two. Then I can add more detail to the next chapter, perhaps a little Dan inclusion, not too sure yet. Anyways, I really hope I got the Thansgiving stuff right. It's very hard to find set information for it! Hope you enjoy :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 8: Not-So-Much-Thanksgiving: Take 1 

It was only the start of her Thanksgiving break, and Blair Waldorf already felt like she had nothing to be thankful for. The flight from New Haven to New York had been excruciating to say the least, not just because she hated flying, but because their plane had been delayed, and a mix-up at the stupid ticket office had left her sat next to Chuck while Nate was a dozen rows behind them.

She'd had nobody to keep her sane, what with the man next to her shuffling in his seat every couple seconds and Chuck on the other side making comments about the noise the plane was making. Even though the flight was only a couple hours, she was pretty sure that even with flight socks, she was going to develop deep vein thrombosis or something equally as bad at some point.

"We should have driven." She'd muttered to Chuck, who had buried himself in a copy of the New York Times after realising she wasn't going to make their flight easy.

"We don't have licences."

"That wouldn't normally stop you."

"I don't know how to drive."

"Nate would have figured it out."

He'd huffed then, put down his paper to shoot her a glare that told her she was being ridiculous. "You're just pissed because we got delayed and you know you're going to see Eleanor in a couple hours."

"Amongst other things." She'd then mumbled, not quietly enough as Chuck sighed once more.

"Is this about Cassie."

"No." She'd lied.

"Look Blair I said I was-"

"Sorry, yeah I know, and I told you you have nothing to be sorry about. You're both consenting adults right?"

"Right."

"So just forget about it." She'd told him. "Unless you don't want to forget about it, in which case, keep thinking about it. In fact, think about it all you want." She was getting flustered and her lips wouldn't stop moving. "Think about it now, I don't care."

"See, the thing is, it sounds like you _do_."

"Then have your hearing checked." She ended, getting up to squeeze herself past the fat man next to her. "I'm going to find Nate."

"You want to add planes to the list of moving vehicles you've removed your clothes in?"

"Maybe." She'd shrugged before walking away. "Just not for you."

And now that they'd landed safely, having been picked up from LaGuardia in a limo courtesy of Chuck's father, the three of them were back on Upper East Side territory, braced for what was sure to be yet another unconventional Thanksgiving.

-

"I hate my mother." Blair wailed down her phone to Nate, who had returned to his home to find that his own mother had seemingly shacked up with a man who wasn't his father.

"Blair, you've been there ten minutes." He laughed, tracing the outline of the captain in his favourite photo of the three of them.

"Yeah, ten minutes too long."

"What happened?"

"She and that...tiny little man...have taken over my house!"

"In which way?"

"In _every_ way!" The brunette shrieked dramatically. "The only room that hasn't been redecorated is my bedroom. Seriously it's like being at Serena's: there's sheet plastic and dust covers everywhere! The bathroom's got his and hers sinks, only they didn't lower Cyrus's enough because it's still set four feet up from the ground and I'd imagine his head is way lower than that anyway."

"Blair, calm down." Nate laughed, forgetting for a moment about his mother and the Captain.

"And you know what's worse?" She gabbled. "They're not even _here_! They're having a weekend away in the Hamptons. Who goes to the Hamptons on Thanksgiving?_ Everybody_ knows the East Coast is for Summer vacationing only! Even daddy can't come from France this year, so there's no pie."

"So you're on your own?"

"I guess so. Except for Dorota and about a hundred builders. None of which appear to speak English by the way. Or understand it."

"Your mom just _left _you on your own for Thanksgiving?" Nate asked. "But it's your favourite holiday, she knows that."

"And obviously that means nothing. So I guess it's cookies and orange juice because that's all that's in the refrigerator."

"You can't have cookies and orange juice on Thanksgiving Blair." Nate replied. "Come to my house."

"Your parents won't mind?"

"Well my dad's in jail and my mom isn't here either." He told her, making his way to the kitchen to check the cupboards. "Looks like she's had somebody over."

"What? Somebody as in...a man somebody?"

"Yeah. And apparently he hates alcohol. Either that, or he's an alcoholic."

"How'd you-"

"There's no wine left." Nate answered quickly. "My mom _always_ has wine with her dinner."

"Some Thanksgiving huh?" Blair sighed. "You'd think they'd be happy to see us considering we've been away for the season."

"They're _our _parents Blair, not normal ones. Besides, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without some sort of abandonment on their part."

He could sense her nodding on the other end of the line. "True Archibald."

"So what do you say? Thanksgiving dinner at mine tomorrow. I'll get some groceries, you can make your dad's pie and-"

"But that's not the tradition!" She complained. It wasn't that she was trying to be difficult-Nate knew that. Blair just liked her Thanksgiving to be perfect and since her father had left for France, it never had been.

"We'll make a new one." Nate replied. "I'll shop, we'll cook, drink wine, be merry...all that stuff." He chuckled.

"Urgh fine." She rolled her eyes. "But make sure there's mashed potatoes."

"I will."

"And cranberry sauce."

"Cranberry sauce, got it."

"You know what Archibald, this could turn out to be a decent holiday for once."

"I'm glad you think so." He smiled. "So say around nine to start the preparations?"

"Nine it is."

-

"Serena." Chuck smarmed in the open doorway of his step-sister's room. "You're looking lovely as always. That west coast sun has left amazing lines." He cocked an eyebrow semi-appreciatively.

"I'll pretend that I don't hate you seeing as we're a family now and we haven't seen each other in months-"

"It's bitchy too." He cut in with a smile. Contrary to what everyone might have thought, he and Serena _did _get on well; they were friends after all, but banter was much more fun.

"I'm not an _it, _I'm your sister and you standing in the doorway looking at me like that is wrong on so many levels."

"The kind of wrong you like?"

"Oh my God Chuck." Serena laughed, making her way over to hug him. "Keep your hands where I can see them."

Chuck smiled as they broke away. "So how's California?"

"Great." She nodded. "The weather is so perfect and everyone is just so...relaxed, you know? It's so different from here and that's what I love about Berkeley." Her eyes were looking past him, almost like she was wishing she was back on the west coast already. "How's Yale? My mom told me you'd transferred?"

"Yeah, Duke wasn't exactly my scene."

"Chuck it's college, _none _of that is your scene." Serena laughed. "So is Yale any better? Do you see Nate and Blair much?"

"As a matter of fact, I live just along the hallway from them."

She rolled her eyes. "How much money did Bart have to donate to make _that _possible?"

"Serena, I'm offended that you think that of me."

She cocked an eyebrow knowingly.

"As a matter of fact, _no _money was donated. I just called in a few favours from some of the I.T geeks."

"I don't even want to know what favours you're talking about."

"Then don't ask." He replied with a smirk.

"So how are things with you and Blair?" Serena asked. "Do you make out behind couches at dorm parties? Or-"

"What are we? In junior high?" Chuck cut in. "We don't make out." He muttered. "She's too busy for that."

"What?" The blonde's ears pricked up. "Does Blair have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"Boyfriend-s?"

"No."

"Oh my God is she me from junior year?" Serena asked horrified.

"No." Chuck shook his head.

"Then what did you mean?"

"It's...nothing. Just forget it."

"You still love her."

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

"You do!" She exclaimed. "You still love Blair! That's why you went to Yale isn't it? To win her back!"

"I don't have to win Blair back from anybody."

"No? Then why is she spending Thanksgiving – _her favourite holiday_ – with Nate?"

"She's what? How do you know that?"

"She called me. Her mom and Cyrus are in the Hamptons this year because of building work and..."

"Building work?"

"They're remodelling."

"On Thanksgiving?" Chuck asked disbelievingly.

"It's Eleanor Waldorf. She does inexplicable things. Much like my own mother."

"Ah yes, where _is _Lily? Buying the food for tomorrow's dinner?"

"No, because apparently as of last year, there's a new tradition on Thanksgiving now."

"Which is..."

"Dinner at Dan's house."

"With his _dad_?"

Serena nodded. "And yours."

"You're telling me Bart Bass is eating turkey in Brooklyn tomorrow?"

She nodded again. "Weird huh?"

"That's beyond weird, it's almost like they're all..."

"Friends?" Serena finished for him.

"I prefer the term acquaintances. I hate to think of my father being involved with anything Brooklyn-related."

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with Brooklyn."

"Humphrey is from there. That says _everything_."

"Chuck, don't be such an ass." Serena laughed. "It's good for them all to be friends, you know, no weird surprises over dinner, no awkwardness..."

"Where are we supposed to eat?" Chuck asked.

Serena shrugged. "A diner? I guess they figured we'd have plans with Blair. We _did _all used to go to Eleanor's party after all.

"But Eleanor isn't hosting a party this year."

"I know, we just confirmed that."

"So what? We just hit up Wendy's and have pancakes for Thanksgiving?"

"_Or _we could join Nate and Blair at Nate's house."

"Who's cooking? Dorota?"

"No." Laughed Serena. "Nate is."

"This isn't Thanksgiving, it's a joke, a poor excuse for a holiday, a-"

"Chuck, I'm eating with Blair and Nate, so unless you'd like to be stating the things you're thankful for on your own, I suggest you join us."

"I'm thankful for nothing." Chuck grumbled.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Well that's just selfish."

"Maybe." He shrugged. "But it's the truth."

"Then take your truths round to Nate's tomorrow because we're going to make this year blow last year's celebrations out of the water."

"Can't be hard."

"C'mon Chuck. It's not like we've got a better offer anyway."

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just as long as we don't all have to 'pitch in'. I don't want to feel like a pilgrim in my own territory."

-

As it turned out, the combination of Blair and Nate in a kitchen with an oven neither had used before had proven to be a not-so-great one, and by the time Chuck and Serena arrived, Nate was psyching himself up to baste the turkey and Blair had cut her losses and settled on a stool with a glass of red wine.

"B?" Serena laughed at her friend as she and Chuck entered Nate's kitchen.

"Oh _thank God_." She returned sarcastically, rising to her feet to greet the blonde who only appeared more so as a result of the California sun. "Cooking is so stressful."

"Cooking?"

"Yeah Blair, _cooking_?" Nate added with a half-laugh. "You haven't even so much as chopped the potatoes!"

"I washed them!" The brunette returned indignantly. "But you were being all macho and 'I'm Nate Archibald, if anyone can cook Thanksgiving dinner, it's me.'"

"Oh my God, did you just do an _impression of me_?"

"Guys!" Serena stepped in laughing.

"Urgh." Chuck muttered. "It's like an episode of the Brady Bunch."

"I didn't know banter was your thing?" Serena directed towards Nate and Blair.

"_Our_ thing?"

"Yeah _your _thing." The blonde frowned. "You and Nate."

"Sickening isn't it?" Chuck grunted again, helping himself to a glass out of the cupboard. "I have to witness it every day." He made his way to the drinks cabinet. "Nathaniel, where's the scotch?"

"Oh yeah...I knew I forgot something. Apparently my mom doesn't drink anymore so I had to get wine at the store."

"Wine? That's a woman's drink."

"Sexist much?" Blair bit, swirling her own red liquid around in its glass.

"Provocative much?" He eyed her silk dress, thin lace around the hem just grazing her thighs as he took the bottle from next to her, an attempt pour enough wine into his own glass to numb him against the pain that would surely follow. The four of them together on Thanksgiving was almost definitely recipe for disaster.

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	11. Not So Much Thanksgiving Part 2

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**A/N- **I know this has taken me AGES to post, but I was kind of stuck halfway through with the dialouge and everything since most of my stories don't have that much (I'm a sucker for descriptive pieces) but I finally had a breakthrough yesterday haha. So here we are, the second part of Thanksgiving (I know that it must seem so far away now) on the Upper East Side. For next chapter, we're heading back to Yale :) Massive thank yous to **LynniePearl, Gaara-lOve, chastitybsp, ashtondene, xcrazyangelx1800, JustJude, Robin (Noirreigne), SimplyShelbySJL, mystripedskirt, YouSure, Blood Red Kiss of Death, al2010, bookworm455, brookeb566, bridgeteebeethequeen, :D, flipped, Katie, **and** puresimplicity-xo **for your lovely reviews, please keep them coming :)

Enjoy :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 10: Not-So-Much-Thanksgiving: Take 2

"What's that smell?" Chuck wrinkled his nose. "It's like...burning rubber."

"In a kitchen?" Nate questioned.

Serena turned her head, her nose pointed towards the smell. "Uh Nate, seems like it's coming from the oven."

Opening the oven door, he recoiled as a blast of hot smoke hit him in the face. "Crap."

"You burned the bird Archibald?" Blair smirked.

"I don't even think burned comes into it." He grimaced as he dropped the tray onto the counter. "More like charcoaled."

Serena started laughing as the host prodded at the bird with a bread knife, blackened crisp falling onto the tray the turkey was sitting on. Chuck did not, however, appear to see the funny side, poking the blonde in the back.

"Not funny van der Wooden. That was our dinner Nate just singed."

"We've always got pie. Right B?"

"Uh, actually no, we don't have pie."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's daddy's recipe and I don't want to ruin it."

"Then ring Dorota and tell her we've got an emergency on our hands." Chuck demanded. "She's good with pastry right?"

"Right." The brunette nodded. "Except I gave Dorota the day off."

"You gave her the day _off_?"

Blair shrugged. "It's Thanksgiving."

"And what is she doing?"

She shrugged again. "I don't know, Dorota stuff."

"Well where can we get a hold of her?"

"We can't, and besides, she doesn't make the pie anywhere near as good as my dad."

"So we'll have a mediocre pumpkin pie, who cares?" Chuck replied. "I'm hungry and I'll take what I can get right now."

The brunette tutted and rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you will."

"Uh guys?" Serena frowned. "We could always just...eat out."

"But I made all this food!" Nate complained, gesturing towards the vegetables chopped into rough shapes.

"You didn't make it yet Archibald." Blair rolled her eyes again. "You just took a knife to it."

"Well it's more than you did."

"I _tried _to help, but you were just on a power trip with your masculinity."

"What's masculine about cooking?" He asked.

"Nothing Nathaniel." Chuck cut in. "And Serena's right, we could just go to a diner."

"Eww." Blair wrinkled her nose. "That's how poor people spend their Thanksgiving."

"Wrong Waldorf, poor people spend their Thanksgiving in a soup kitchen, not eating over-priced fries with chilli sauce."

"But I made the vegetables." Nate complained again. "I didn't even get a chance to screw them up yet."

Serena laughed and shook her head. "Fine. We'll let Nate ruin the vegetables, and then when we've politely forced down as much as we can, we'll go to a diner for some _actual _food we can eat."

"Sounds good." Nate laughed. "And for the record, I'm offended that you think I can't manage vegetables. I cook plenty in Connecticut."

"Failing to master cupcakes doesn't count." Blair replied, pouring herself some more wine.

"Wait." Serena laughed again. "You made _cupcakes_?"

"The lacrosse team had a bake sale." Blair smirked.

"Aww you did? How cute."

"Not cute." Nate replied as he turned his attention back to the empty pans on top of the stove. "Manly."

-

The vegetable cooking did, surprisingly, go without a hitch. With no room left in their stomachs for a trip to a diner for some apple pie and ice cream, the four concluded that, smothered with gravy and store-bought cranberry sauce, carrots, mashed potatoes and parsnips weren't so bad without the inclusion of turkey or stuffing, and were even better when helped down with a glass of wine...or several.

It was during their third glass each that someone suggested a walk to 'clear their heads' and after passing through Central Park in a blur, Blair had found herself stood beside Chuck in a queue for the ice rink: boots in hand.

Nate and Serena had somehow managed to be several places in front of them, and she watched as Nate struggled to hold himself steady when the usually graceful Serena tottered onto the rink. It gave her slight satisfaction to know that there was still something (other than turning on Chuck Bass) that she was better at than her blonde best friend, even if there were only a couple months of the year when she could prove it.

She heard Chuck laugh slightly in his throat as Serena shrieked and hit the ice face-forward, her white bobble-hat falling over her face so that all that was visible from Blair's position was legs, boots in the air and blonde hair tumbling around in the breeze.

"You still as good as you were?" Chuck asked in her ear. There was something about his voice that suggested ice skating wasn't all he was talking about, and keeping her cool, Blair smoothed down her jacket while replying.

"I'm better."

"Is that so?" He raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps." He moved closer to her, just close enough so that his groin was pressed against her, and his fingers could trace patterns across her skin just below her earlobe. "You'll be able to give me a demonstration."

Perhaps it was the wine or the cold air, or perhaps her headband was on too tight, but Blair found herself turn against him, just enough so that her hands could graze the waistband of his pants and her brunette curls were bouncing on his scarf. "Oh, there'll be a show." She dipped her head towards his lips, and just as she caught his mouth part and his eyes shut, she moved quickly to nip the bottom of his ear. "Basstard."

Casting her brown eyes over her appearance, Blair thanked her non-drunken state earlier that day for choosing a greatly inappropriate outfit for skating.

-

Maybe, she thought as her left foot hit the ice and her legs trembled unconfidently beneath her, the marshals should have been on hand with breathalysers, because Blair was almost positive she was over the limit for skating (if there even was one). Catching Chuck from the corner of her eye, she smirked as he tripped from the entrance to where she had manoeuvred herself to. He'd never been good at skating and she figured that two-thirds of a bottle of wine later, he wasn't going to be any better. So when she did a simple twirl just fast enough to reveal some delicate lace stockings; alcohol and adrenaline taking over, she had to stop herself from daring him to follow as she watched his eyes stare over her thighs in anticipation.

As much as she could put on a show, there was no part of her that wanted to spend even a second of Thanksgiving in casualty.

They stood in the far corner of the rink watching Nate guide Serena tentatively around the edge, the two of them wobbling like crazy whenever the blonde tried to be a little more adventurous as other couples skated by hand-in-hand, and children raced each other at lightning speed.

"Forgotten how good they look together?" Chuck asked as Blair nodded unintentionally. "We look better."

"Mmmm." She replied semi-consciously, quickly correcting herself when she realised what she'd said. "What? No, we don't look good together."

"Look at us now." He raised an eyebrow. "Staring misty-eyed at our mutual friends who are both equally bad at skating...my hand around your waist..." She snuck her eyes downward, widening them in horror as she realised his hands were, in fact, around her waist, and it was worse that she didn't know at what point they'd arrived there. "That skirt." He breathed in her ear as his left hand travelled underneath it. "Doing things..."

She yanked her body away, not because she wasn't (secretly) enjoying his lips against her skin and his hand under the lace of her stocking, but because she was a Yale lady, and was not prepared to compromise her social status for a quick grope in public. Besides, he was Chuck, and Chuck did _not _get to do those things to her...any more.

"Oww woman!" He exclaimed, falling backwards as his balance was suddenly lost, much to Blair's delight.

"Chuck!" They heard Serena call from the opposite end of the rink, and then it took another minute or so for her to actually reach the fallen boy, legs unsteady and hands grabbing at Nate for balancing purposes every two seconds. "What did you do?"

"Waldorf knocked me down."

Blair cocked her head with a smirk. "Knocked you _back_, you mean."

Serena frowned and Nate laughed, extending a hand to haul Chuck up, who had a scowl tightened across his face as Blair added. "He tried to grope me."

"In the middle of the rink?" Nate replied in fake disgust, letting go of Chuck's hand as he dropped to the floor once again, much to Serena's amusement. Her amusement was, however, ill-fated, and Blair watched as, in perfect comedy timing, the blonde tumbled forwards over Chuck's legs, ending up face down against the ice yet again.

"Graceful S." She laughed. "Really graceful."

"Oww!" Serena cried, "My wrist!"

Nate scooped her up and Blair rolled her eyes, turning her attention to Chuck. "Get up Bass."

"Aren't you going to offer me a hand?"

"See this blade?" She pointed to the bottom of her skates. "I've heard it's quite the pain-causer when jammed into somebody's leg."

Chuck was on his feet again in seconds, curling his nose up at Blair who was really quite enjoying it all.

"Do you need to go get your wrist checked over?" Nate asked Serena, who was now giggling in a drunken haze as she shook her head."

"We might get in trouble, what with being drunk on skates and all."

"It's not illegal."

"It's pretty stupid."

"Fun though." Blair chipped in, smacking Chuck's hand away as he tried to put it on the bottom of her back.

"For some maybe." He replied. "For others, it's a little violent."

"That's because said others are too into public displays of molestation."

"Come on Waldorf, you say that like it's a bad thing."

"Aww, on this happy note," Serena began as the four of them stationed themselves in the corner of the rink. "I think we should do our thankful now."

"No way." Chuck replied. "That's too Hallmark for me."

"This coming from the person who's in lurrrrve." She giggled, poking him in the chest a little too vigorously as Nate had to steady her once again.

"I am not!" He answered back indignantly.

"Okay whatever. I'm thankful that Nate didn't ruin the _whole _Thanksgiving dinner." Serena stated.

Nate rolled his eyes. "And I'm thankful that you three had a lot of wine before you ate, because I didn't and the mashed potatoes were horrible." He laughed.

Blair and Chuck stayed silent.

"Come on guys." Serena urged. "You must be thankful for something."

Chuck smirked. "I'm thankful for Waldorf's choice of clothing." He eyed the brunette appreciatively. "Stockings, skirts and ice rinks go s_o well _together."

Blair tutted in fake disgust. "I'm actually thankful that my Mom and Cyrus are in the Hamptons. This might just be the first Thanksgiving since daddy left that hasn't been a total disaster."

"See?" Serena smiled. "You can be appreciative if you try. Now..." She was cut off as she tried to dodge two speeding nine-year-olds coming rather too close, resulting in her on the floor once again. "Who's up for this again at Christmas?"

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**A/N- **Well, that was a little fluffier than my usual stuff, but hey, it's the holiday season so everyone can be a little cheerier right? Besides, after the depression-fest that was Monday's eppisode, I think we need some holiday cheer :) You like?


	12. Yaletide Cheer

**A/N- **To **MissDK, YouSure, leighten, princetongirl, Gaara-LOve, XxPrincessKay17xX, LynniePearl, leah, al2010, liveontheedge, brrokeb566, ashtondene, flipped, :D, Edwardslover09, Blood Red Kiss Of Death, **and **puresimplicity-xo **THANK YOU for your reviews. It means a lot that you took the time to say a little something over the holiday period. No more rambling, just number 10 for you :)

Enjoy! xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 10: Yaletide Cheer

The build-up to Christmas was normally a time that Blair hated. Days after school were spent dodging determined shoppers on Fifth Avenue, looking for that perfect gift for her mother, or for Nate, or for whomever Serena's mom was seeing at the time. Serena of course, spent most of her Christmas shopping time in Brooklyn, sifting through old books in those gross 'vintage' book stores. Blair figured the word vintage was used only for appealing charm purposes. She'd have described them as more _dirty_.

Christmas in New Haven however, and at Yale in particular was something of a picture-perfect postcard scene. It wasn't rushed or commercialised or even forced upon people. It was just present, with the ever-pretty fairy lights strung from the old-fashioned buildings in swooping arches casting gorgeous silhouettes by the time it got to dusk.

Snow had begun to fall just after the three of them had returned from Manhattan, Cassie having already turned up the heating in the dorm room her and Blair shared for their arrival. She'd tried her hand at Christmas cookies too, and after a successful batch, quit while she was ahead, deciding against making eggnog after the disaster of the pumpkin pie.

Blair had jokingly volunteered Nate's services for a Christmas dinner before they all headed home again for the holidays, but agreed that after the disaster of the Thanksgiving turkey, it was probably best to stick to mashed potatoes and pre-made bagels.

"I got us all tickets for the Winter Formal." Cassie told Blair as the brunette returned with a few select groceries: mainly grapes and balsamic vinegar. "They were selling fast and I thought you'd want to go."

"Tell me you're not taking a date." Blair groaned.

"As a matter of fact, he's taking _me_." Cassie replied laughing.

"And does this _he _have a name?"

"Asher."

"From the Bowen Field party?"

Cassie nodded.

"Took him long enough. What's it been? Like _months _since he gave you a piggy-back back here."

"Hey!" Cassie laughed. "At least I have a date!"

Blair groaned again. "Don't remind me."

"I'm sure Nate will ask you. Or Chuck. Or any other guy for that matter."

"I _hate _events where you have to show up with a date."

"I thought that's how everything was back home for you?"

"It was. It _is_. I just...I thought I was free from that here."

"It's one dance B."

"Easy for you to say, you've got a normal guy taking you. I get to choose from an ass with no feelings and another guy that, if he has any feelings, finds it hard to communicate them in ways other than 'um' or that brooding-staring thing he does."

Cassie laughed again. "Now you're just being dramatic. Besides, I didn't think you liked 'normal'?"

"Well they're easier to take to events which require manners and etiquette. They're much less unpredictable."

"You thrive on unpredictable."

"Do not."

"You do too. Look at you since Chuck's gotten here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I haven't seen you in those sweats since he got here. You never wear your hair up, you're bitchy – in a good way, you plan for every eventuality – I mean, have you actually _seen _the contents of your purse?"

Blair frowned.

"Oh don't act like you don't know what I mean." The blonde giggled. "I've seen the lipstick, the condoms. You're planning on having dirty library sex with Chuck Bass aren't you?"

"I heard my name." Chuck cut in, smirking as he opened the already-ajar door to the girl's room.

Cassie raised her eyebrows impressed.

"I have a sixth sense for this kind of a thing." He explained.

Blair rolled her eyes. "More like a sick sense."

"That the best you can do Waldorf?"

"I like to save my energy for something that counts."

"How about saving it for the Winter Formal tomorrow night?" Chuck asked with a cocked brow.

"Well if _you're_ going to be there, I'll have to."

"I like where this is going."

"Haven't you got somewhere to go?" Blair cut in before she lost herself. "Like Hell or something?"

"As a matter of fact, I _do _have somewhere to go. Care to join me?"

"I'd rather die."

"Dramatic."

"Asshole."

"Guys!" Cassie cut in laughing. "Chuck, you were asking Blair to the Winter Formal."

"The answer's no." Blair replied quickly.

"Good." Chuck smirked. "Because the question was would you be any bitchier than normal if I took another girl."

Blair swallowed and kept her composure as Chuck turned towards the door. "Later Cassie." He nodded. "Waldorf."

She huffed the breath that she'd been holding and narrowed her eyes. "I need a date."

-

After remembering the reaction she'd gotten off Chuck the last time she and Nate went to an event together, Blair cut her losses and decided to go with her ex-boyfriend _as friends_ to the Formal. He'd bought her a cream rose corsage to match the pale grey silk of her dress with its cream fur wrap sitting delicately on her shoulders.

She hadn't seen Chuck all the while they were getting ready, and even when they'd gotten to the hotel ballroom, the Basstard wasn't anywhere to be found. Figuring he was most probably having seedy sex in a bathroom somewhere with a beautifully unintelligent whore, Blair settled herself at one of the tables with Nate, Cassie and Asher, attempting (and failing) to enjoy herself without Chuck around to keep her on edge.

"Are you _looking_ for him?" Cassie hissed after Nate excused himself for the bathroom.

"For who?"

"Oh come _on _B, I can see it in your eyes. You want Chuck here!"

"I do not. I'm just so used to having him ruin the peace all the time these days that it's weird when things are normal."

"Hmm." Cassie replied unconvinced. "Nice attempt at a cover-up but I don't believe you."

Blair simply shrugged it off. Chuck wasn't going to get to her – not tonight.

-

It was a good couple hours before he made an appearance, by which time, Blair had gotten a little tipsy off of several martinis and had made it to the dance floor with Cassie, leaving Nate and Asher to enjoy their beers at the table.

They'd perfected their dancing together weeks ago, and before the arrival of Chuck, had used it to their advantage to attract attention from members of the opposite sex. Tonight was no different, and Cassie shot an apologetic look in the direction of Asher as she and Blair were flanked by two guys they'd met once before.

It was then that Blair caught Chuck's eye, noticing the flame-haired girl beside him. She reminded her of Vanessa, in the way of her style and mannerisms, and realising the brunette was watching, Chuck stepped up his game, turning his companion into him as he placed a hand on the small of her back.

If he was doing it to make her jealous, it was working.

-

"Waldorf." He breathed into her ear as he joined her against the wall outside of the hotel.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sunbathing."

Blair shot him a look that let him know she wasn't playing around before he held up the joint in his left hand.

"Date going that badly huh?" She smirked. "Which agency did you hire her from?"

"Amber isn't _from _an agency." He returned as Blair scoffed. "What?"

"Her name's Amber? _Real_ inventive."

"I actually think it's very feminine."

Blair just rolled he eyes as Chuck exhaled. "I actually came out here for some _fresh _air."

Chuck ignored her. "So where's Nathaniel?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Talking to some of his team mates."

"And you asked whether _my _date was going badly."

"Nate and I aren't on a date. We're friends."

"Then if you're friends that accompany each other to these events, how come you and I never go together?"

Blair turned back towards the entrance to the hotel. "We're not friends."

-

By the time Blair had returned to the table from the bathroom, the rest of the group were talking into their drinks in hushed whispers in between looking towards the dance floor. There, in the middle of it all, scotch glass in hand, was Chuck, his hands roaming across Amber's body as she moved her body inappropriately against his, _not_ in time to the music.

She stood rooted, martini glass dangling in her hand, her eyes never leaving the two of them as Nate attempted to make conversation and Asher and Cassie sat awkwardly.

"Do you want to get another drink?" He asked glancing down at his own empty bottle.

"No." Blair snapped. "I want to dance."

She led Nate towards the middle of the floor, resting her arms around his neck as they swayed to the song flooding the speakers, catching Chuck's eye as she snuggled in a little closer.

He responded by moving his left hand to the base of Amber's neck, massaging softly, just like he used to do with Blair whenever they'd lay in bed together after a heated...encounter.

Nate caught on to what was happening, and turned his body slightly, attempting to ignore the girl in his arms who was trying to make his best friend jealous. He closed his eyes slightly as the brunette rose to her tip toes, pointing her lips towards his ear in a bid to tell him something, though whether it was simply for decorative purposes Nate wasn't sure, as he failed to make out any words, if there were any, above the music.

Out of the corner of his left eye, he caught Chuck glance their way, holding Blair's gaze before his lips launched an assault on Amber's.

That deemed the final straw in her falseness of a night, and feeling the anger burn in her chest, Blair turned to leave the dance floor, a confused Nate following behind her as Chuck smirked, and Cassie took a hold of the fur wrap in anticipation of what was to follow.

-

"Where's Waldorf?" Chuck asked Cassie an hour or so later in his trademark drop-tone drunken voice as he cornered her near the bar.

"She left."

"And Nate?"

"He went with her."

"She went home with Nate?" Chuck questioned, clearly regretful. "When?"

"Well after we watched that little show you put on on the dance floor, Nate offered to take her home seeing as you were busy...getting busy with someone else. What's your game Chuck?"

"There's no game."

The blonde raised an eyebrow knowingly. "Whatever it is you're trying to do, it's clearly not working."

"Oh it'll work."

"Look, I don't know what happened between you guys in high school, but I do know that whoever she was back then, well it's not the same girl she is now."

Chuck dipped his head. "I know."

"Then why do what you just did?"

"Because it's the only way I can get her attention okay?" He shouted. "She's different and I have no effing idea how to be around her. In high school I knew every move to make, I knew exactly what she wanted. Nate didn't have a clue."

"And now?"

Chuck shrugged. "He's got her."

"If that's how you feel then just _tell her_."

He shook his head. "It doesn't work like that, not with us."

"But there isn't a 'you'. You're not 'Chuck and Blair'. You're just Chuck, and Blair's just Blair."

He shook his head again. "I can't do it."

"Why not?"

"I don't mean enough to her now. And he does."

"I think you mean more to Blair than you think you do." Cassie replied sending an apologetic glance in Asher's direction.

"What were they like?" He asked. "Before I came here."

Cassie shrugged. "Just friends."

"What were they like, _really_?"

"She wore his sweaters, she kept clothes in his drawer for when she slept over there when I had guys over. She knows he likes his coffee lukewarm and that he'll only wear gloves if they're navy blue or grey. He took her to movies on the afternoons when they had no class, maybe go for walks, get ice cream."

Chuck nodded slowly, knowing everything already, but feeling all the worse for hearing it aloud.

"But when you came here she didn't do any of that stuff."

Her words didn't seem to be of any worth. His hands twirled around the scotch glass, letting the ice cubes clack against the sides.

"You should be with your date." He nodded in Asher's direction. "And Cassie?"

"Yeah?"

"Chuck Bass doesn't ask questions."

The blonde frowned at his expression before he continued. "I trust you won't be telling Blair about this."

She simply nodded and offered a small smile before heading towards Asher as Chuck Bass decided in that moment that Winter wasn't his season. He'd take Spring or Summer, wait for the shorter dresses, the cotton shirts, the sweet perfume for a distraction. Maybe he'd get Spring Break, and there'd be a let-up in the non-stop hurricane that was Blair Waldorf.

Or maybe, he figured, he'd just have to move on, because he couldn't match Nate for her in any way. He wouldn't even try.

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Just incase this is my last post before Christmas (which it's highly likely to be) I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year :)


	13. New Years Even?

**A/N- **I am SO sorry for the length of time it's taken me to update this fic. I've had so many assignments to do for uni that I haven't had time to do anything! But I'm back now, assignment free and so here's the next installment. So this takes place on New Years (which I know seems like miles away now) but I had it planned, 1/2 written and I needed to post a New Years chapter to be able to get away with what I want to happen. So yeah...

HUGE thank yous to the wonderful **Buterflies in my Stomach, Gaara-LOve, sailor cyanide, princetongirl, kensley, MissDK, YouSure, :D, ashtondene, zutaraforever08, bridgeteebeethequeen, puresimplicity-xo, Heavenlydoll, flipped, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Missdenmark, chasitybsp, **and of course, to **Lynn (who now needs to update Mahogany please!? :P) **Your reviews mean everything :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 11: New Years Even?

Over the years, New Years Eve had, on the whole, been more consistent than Blair Waldorf could have wished for. It wasn't that she'd enjoyed the constant disappointments and let-downs each time, but after the first sixteen, she'd realised that New Years just wasn't her night. She didn't bother wishing for things she wanted anymore, didn't hope for something better, hadn't asked God for any sign that her life would miraculously be simplified and mistake-free, just accepted that something either bad or horribly unplanned would happen, and that she'd just have to expect the unexpected.

So with Chuck now prowling the corridors of her formerly-safe haven, Blair had figured that this New Years Eve wasn't going to be any different, and if anything, it would most probably be worse than usual.

Serena was a whirlwind as per usual when Blair reached one of the large reception halls of the Marriott Brooklyn Bridge hotel, blonde curls tumbling around her shoulders as she instructed the decorators to make sure that the foliage didn't hang "too far".

"B!" She shrieked as she saw the brunette gazing at the still rather empty room. "What do you think?"

"I think it could be great." Blair replied. "If it wasn't in _Brooklyn_."

"B, we've talked about this."

"It's New Years Serena! Only like, the most important night of the year, and you're holding ours in Humphrey-territory!"

"It's not like we're in some messy apartment block, have you seen the views from up here?"

"Yeah, and you might want to cover the windows with drapes if you don't want other people to see them."

"I thought you'd become a better person at Yale."

"Then you thought wrong."

Serena rolled her eyes and laughed. "What do you think of the colour scheme? Too millennium?"

Blair glanced around at the flowers and drapes of ice blue chiffon. "It's frosty."

"Frosty in a _good _way?" Serena coaxed.

She'd admit, the cream roses were elegant and the material stood as a huey backdrop against the dark wood of the room. "I suppose."

"Well thanks for the support." The blonde frowned. "I guess."

"Where have you sat me for tonight?"

"What?"

"Which table am I at?"

"You mean, are you sitting with Nate and/or Chuck?" Serena raised a perfectly-plucked eyebrow."

Blair rolled her own eyes and tried to ignore her. "Am I near the kitchen or not? I have a cream dress and I don't want the waiters spilling-"

"I wasn't in charge of the seating chart." She shrugged. "I can't even remember who is."

Blair huffed and turned on her heel. "Thanks for your help. _Not_. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an event to get ready for."

"B." Serena called after the brunette. "I could maybe find out your table." She offered. "Swap some names around."

Blair nodded, and offered a small grateful smile.

-

Though she wouldn't admit it, the hotel really did look beautiful when Blair arrived with Eric, Serena having already been there for a good hour or so. She'd been informed by Nate that he and Chuck would be heading to the event together, and if she needed a ride, they would pick her up on the way. She could think of nothing worse than sharing an uncomfortable limo ride with the two of them, especially when Chuck would no doubt take every available opportunity to remind her of the event that had taken place in such a vehicle years before. So she'd said no, she'd keep Eric company until Jenny got there, because after all, he wasn't such a bad kid to talk to – in fact, his recounts of Lily and Bart's escapades were quite brilliant – he'd gotten his stepfather down to a tee.

"Oh my gosh Blair you look stunning." Lily cried as she embraced the brunette before planting a kiss on Eric's forehead.

"Mom, not here!" He hissed, wiping discreetly at his skin with the back of his hand.

"Thank you Lily." She smiled, smoothing down the Grecian-style gown. "You look wonderful too, that blue is gorgeous on you."

Eric rolled his eyes at the incessant compliments, waving at Serena across the room.

"Well thank you, Bart picked it up for me in Paris. I told him it was too much but I'm glad he insisted."

"Ah yes, where is Mr Bass?" Blair asked through gritted teeth. "I'd like to thank him for making such a great decision by sending Charles to Yale."

"Oh yes, Serena told me how close the three of you have become in Connecticut."

"Really?"

"Yes she said you have a wonderful time. How _is_ college there?"

Blair smiled with clenched fists as she clocked the name holders a couple tables across from where they were stood. "Like high school."

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that-"

"Excuse me Lily, I have something I forgot to do."

The tables were wrong. If Serena had tried to sort something out like she said she would, she'd done a pretty crappy job at it. There, on one table, were the names Chuck Bass, Blair Waldorf, Nathaniel Archibald, Serena van der Woodsen, Daniel Humphrey, Eric van der Woodsen, Jennifer Humphrey, someone by the name of Joseph Warren and Carter Baizen. And then, Blair's heart jumped. Carter-_white knight_-Baizen: that would certainly screw with Chuck.

Quickly grabbing the name holders, Blair switched with the nearest table to her, replacing her and Carter's names with two others before grabbing Chuck's name holder and placing it opposite her own in a bid to make him watch everything he'd subjected her to only days before back in New Haven.

"Blair what are you doing?" Serena hissed making the brunette jump.

"I'm doing what you forgot to."

"I moved everything around so that we were all together away from the kitchen. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Blair rolled her eyes at Serena's ignorance. "Whatever, it's done now, where's the champagne?"

Serena shook her head faux-disapprovingly as Blair offered an apologetic smile. "At the bar."

"Ah, I forgot, we're in _Brooklyn_." She replied. "Self service."

As she spied Nate and Chuck in the doorway, Blair excused herself and made for the bar quickly, knowing that one glass certainly wouldn't be enough to get her through a New Years Eve event that had all the ingredients for high school-style drama; close proximity, alcohol, music…and Chuck.

-

"Ladies and Gentleman if you would take your seats please." Hazel's stepmother announced over the microphone as the room swelled with people dangling flutes of champagne, or in Chuck's case, a glass of scotch.

The smirk quickly dropped from the corners of her lips as she settled down in her seat next to Carter and Nate pulled out the chair opposite.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he sat down, eyeing up the boy next to her suspiciously.

"Nate." Carter nodded.

Nate nodded back warily and smiled at Blair. "It says my name on the place setting."

"It does? I thought it said-"

"Chuck Bass." She heard a throaty voice introduce on the neighbouring table, narrowing her eyes at its owner who was kissing the hand of a _much _older woman. It was like Marcus and Lady Catherine all over again.

"Never mind." She faked a smile and took a gulp of champagne to warm her up. It looked like she was in for a long night. "So _Carter_." She stressed loudly enough for Chuck to hear. And turn to watch her. And stop talking to that _old _woman. "I hear you've spent the year at sea with the Navy." If this night was going to be bad, Blair figured she could at least make it bad for Chuck too. "I've always admired men who are so brave, I mean, serving your country, _so s_elfless." Her hand was touching Carter's arm now and from the corner of her eye she could see Chuck staring at her with a stiffened jaw. Carter looked like every one of his Christmases had come at once.

"I get to see so much of the world that most people could only dream about." Carter replied to a dis-interested Blair who was forced to fake enthusiasm. "I feel so privileged."

Nate frowned at her from across the table but she tried to ignore it. "And you're so modest too. It's hard to find that in a man these days." She'd have shot a glare in Chuck's direction under normal circumstances, but seeing as she didn't want him to know that she knew he was watching, she kept her eyes on Carter, smiling as he asked her about Yale.

-

"What are you doing with Carter?" Nate hissed at Blair as he cornered her discreetly at the bar, snatching an offered champagne flute away before she could take it from the tray.

"What do you mean?"

"All that stuff about the Navy, touching his arm, making me sit opposite something I'd normally see from Chuck."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I saw you earlier switching the place settings. I _thought _you were making some sort of secret bid to get back at him for the Cotillion Ball."

"Who? Get back at _Carter_?"

"I get that you and Chuck are playing against each other." Nate said simply. "And that's your choice, I'm not going to judge. But if you're going to turn tonight into some sort of game, count me out."

"Nate, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for-"

"Before he got there, to Yale, you were happy." He shrugged. "I know you can't change that he's there but...this doesn't have to turn into high school Blair. You're better than that."

"And what would you know about high school Nate?" She finally cracked. "You _weren't there _for most of it. When my dad left you were still mourning Serena. When everyone left me out in the cold after the whole…Chuck thing, _you _watched as I got ice cream dropped onto my head! If anything, _he's _the one that knows about high school, about what I'm better than."

Nate watched her, mouth part-open, not sure of what to say. He shook his head, no. "Then tell him."

"Tell him _what_?"

"How you feel."

"Don't you get it Nate?" She almost-cried. "I don't. I don't _feel _anything. Not for him."

"Then stop with the games, or at least, stop including me in them."

She narrowed her eyes, suddenly more in control of herself as she turned away, only looking back briefly to snatch the champagne flute back from near his hands. "Don't flatter yourself."

-

The night had dragged painfully slowly, mostly due to the topic of conversation from Carter, who had insisted on following Blair around like some sort of lost puppy. Had she had the gumption to have checked out any other guys in the room, she might have found herself a suitable New Years kiss, but after discussions regarding rocky coves off of the south coast of Africa, Blair found she was only a couple minutes away from midnight, and a lot of vodka martinis away from sobriety.

She glanced around to find Nate with a girl who looked suspiciously like Vanessa, though Serena had informed the brunette that Vanessa would not be attending due to a family block party. How someone could turn down such an event in favour of partying on the street in the freezing cold was beyond Blair. Serena herself was giggling at something Dan was telling her, no doubt relating to Brooklyn or his weird ex-rocker dad's scandalous past - perhaps it was even something cabbage patch related. It looked more fun than where she was standing though, and as she glanced at Chuck, stood by the bar with a scotch in one hand looking decidedly downcast, Blair contemplated bolting towards the other side of the room. But then someone shouted "ten seconds" and she was stuck with Carter.

"Ten, nine, eight…"

She still had enough time if she ran.

"Five, four…"

She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity, knowing that she'd started this and so she'd be damned if she wasn't the one who ended it.

"Two, one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

She'd barely finished the word 'year' before Carter's lips were on hers, and even though she wasn't entirely happy about it, he wasn't all that bad. In fact, he was quite a good kisser, and before she realised, her hands were tangling in his hair and the noise from the rest of the room was filtering away. And then Serena's voice jolted her back again, and she pulled away to see the shocked expression on the blonde's face. Maybe she'd had too much vodka.

"Happy new year B!" She squealed, hugging her tipsy brunette counterpart before hugging Carter too. "2010 baby!"

-

"Happy New Year man." Nate shook Chuck's hand as he joined him by the bar, directing his gaze across the room towards where Chuck was staring. Blair and Carter.

"Yeah." Chuck waved away Nate's good wishes and took a large gulp from his glass. "I see Waldorf's wasting no time in trying to pay me back for that last night in New Haven."

"What?"

"The Winter Formal."

Nate laughed and rolled his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean." Chuck narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe it's not about you, maybe this is about Blair having fun."

"So she just goes around whoring herself out to random guys?"

"Don't talk about her like that Chuck." Nate warned. "You know she's not like that."

"That's not what it looks like."

"It's New Years. People kiss other people."

"Not in the way she just kissed him."

"What, were you _watching_?"

"I was making sure she was okay."

"Kinda late for the chivalry act now, don't you think?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Nate just shrugged and turned to leave. "You figure it out."

-

He'd had enough. He wasn't going to watch her fuck him around for _Carter Baizen_. There were lines that Chuck just wasn't going to cross.

Spinning her around quickly from her conversation, Chuck pressed his lips against Blair's, tilting her chin with his fingertips as she opened her mouth a little wider. And then just as quickly as it had happened, she pulled away, a look of disgust written across her face.

"Chuck Bass how _dare _you!"

"Just thought I should wish you a happy new year." He replied with a small smirk as Carter stood immobilised.

"And the words 'Happy New Year' wouldn't suffice?"

"Not when it comes to you."

"Well I'm busy."

"With _Carter Baizen_?"

"Yes."

"Come on Blair, this isn't you! Look at you!" His voice was raised now as he indicated her tipsy state, the cream gown slipping from her shoulders, the seemingly-millionth martini glass in her hand.

"We established this a long time ago Chuck. You. Don't. Know. Me."

"I do." He replied a little more calmly. "I know you better than anyone else does, I know you better than you know yourself."

She shook her head. "No, you don't."

And he was angry again, not at himself, not even at Carter, and people had started to turn around to look at them. He didn't care. "So this is you huh? For instant slut, just add vodka?"

Her hand struck his face before she even had time to fully register his words, her lip curled upwards, eyes cold and distant. "You do _not_ get to judge me."

"Why not?" He shouted as she walked away. "Everyone else is."

She turned, her voice lowering as she raised her glass and her eyes locked with his. "Happy New Year." She looked him up and down. "Go to Hell."

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	14. White Knights

**A/N- **Thank yous to the wonderful **Lynne and Maggie, Edwardslover09, YouSure, Heavenlydoll, :D, GGfanSkittles, MissDK, princetongirl, Blood Red Kiss of Death, mystriped skirt, chasitybsp, Noirreigne (Robin :)), uncorazonquebrao, flipped, kaesaku, bookworm455 **and **cityhorizon **for being such wonderful reviewers last chapter :) I love you guys.

WARNING: More Cater. Please don't hate me...

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 13: White Knights 

"So how was New Years?" Cassie asked Blair as the brunette unwrapped the chunky scarf from around her neck before swiftly unbuttoning her coat. The weather in New Haven was still freezing, and though no snow had fallen yet, the forecasts had predicted it for the near future.

Blair shrugged. "Weird."

"Weird how?"

"Just, you know-"

"Did Nate hook up with that Vanessa girl you were telling me about? Did Chuck hook up with…well, anyone?"

Blair frowned into the coffee Cassie had bought for her arrival and sighed. "Actually no, I drank a little too much vodka and-"

"Oh my God you had sex with Chuck!?" Cassie exclaimed, half-questioning, half-stating.

"No."

"Nate!? Holy crap that must have been one good New-"

"Cassie I didn't sleep with anyone!" Blair answered quickly. "I may have shared a midnight kiss with a certain white knight, but-"

"White knight?" The blonde gabbled. "What's a white knight? What's his name? Is he hot? Hotter than Nate? Hotter than Chuck?"

"Well I can't tell you because you won't stop _asking questions_!"

"Sorry." She offered a small smile, drawing her fingers across her lips. "Sealed."

"His name's Carter, we used to hang out with him sometimes at home and then he moved away for a bit. He was Serena's date for the cotillion, well, kind of, and anyway he and Nate don't like each other because Nate punched him, and Chuck just doesn't like anyone-"

"Wait, I need to unzip for a moment." Cassie told her wide-eyed. "Nate actually _punched _someone? Why?"

"Uh, because he was dancing with me but-"

"That is so freakin hot!" Cassie breathed. "And see? I told you that you and Nate are more than-"

"Calm down, it was Chuck's fault because he was plotting something that obviously didn't go to plan. Anyway that's beside the point. Point is, I kissed Carter at midnight and then he asked me out and I said yes, but only because I was drunk, and not because I'm desperate or needy but-"

"When's he taking you out?"

Blair screwed up her face and ran her fingers around the rim of her coffee cup absent-mindedly. "Tonight?"

"Tonight?" Cassie squealed. "Oh. My. Gosh that is so romantic! He's flying here for you…_tonight_! What did Nate say when you told him?"

"Um…"

"You haven't told him have you?"

"We're not speaking."

"What? Why?"

"We kinda had an argument on New Years."

"About what? B, Nate wouldn't argue with you he loves you!"

"He doesn't _love _me."

"Okay whatever. So you guys fell out because?"

"Because he caught me switching the place settings around."

"I don't understand."

"I instructed Serena to sort out the seating, and she did it all wrong so I took matters into my own hands." Blair told Cassie matter-of-factly. "Only, I accidentally moved Nate's place setting instead of Chuck's so that we were sat with Carter and not with everyone else."

"But why would you want to sit with Chuck over Nate?"

"Because I wanted to use Cater to make him jealous." The brunette mumbled. "After that whole dance floor ho-down, I wanted to make sure he wasn't going to win."

"Win what?"

"The game."

"What game?"

"Just, you know." Blair raised an eyebrow. "The game."

"Blair just…I don't know, doesn't it seem a little…high school?"

"Okay, now you sound like Nate and I thought you'd understand." Blair cut coldly, putting her cup down so that she could put on her scarf. "I have to go, I have a date to get ready for."

"Blair, come on, you know I didn't mean it like that, it's just that you seemed to always have so much fun before Chuck got here, and now it's changed."

The game, to Blair, was the best kind of fun she could have. But in order to play, she needed Chuck.

"I still have fun." She replied. "Just not in the same way as before."

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Okay, this is bordering on kinky now."

Blair rolled her eyes and shook her head with a small smile. "Goodbye Cassie."

-

Cassie had peered round the door as Carter had presented Blair with a bouquet of flowers, reminding herself that she was going to have to start dating rich boys if (or more likely when) she broke up with Asher. She'd noted the brunette's slightly false smile as she put the peonies into a vase with some water before slinging her Chanel purse over her shoulder before shooting a 'stop peaking' glare at the blonde. He was hot enough, she figured, though it wasn't like he was in Nate's pretty prep boy league or Chuck's bad boy smouldering class, but still, Cassie guessed she wouldn't say no if the offer was there.

With Asher at soccer practise she put on his sweater that he'd lent her weeks ago and headed to Nate's place in search of beer and more Chuck/Blair/Nate information. If she didn't have anyone around to sweep her off her own feet with peonies and over-priced cocktails, she'd settle for hearing about the lives of others who _did_.

"Tell me you've got beer." She huffed as she brushed past Nate and his open door.

"I've got beer."

"Good. Now turn off the tv, we're having a heart to heart."

"Um, what?" Nate asked, turning to watch Cassie as she flipped the tops off of two bottles of Budweiser.

"A heart to heart, you know, those things that people do when they need to get something off their mind."

"Why, what do you need to get off your mind?" Nate asked, taking a bottle from her outstretched hand.

"Me? Nothing. It's you who needs to tell me stuff."

Nate laughed. "About what?"

"New Years."

"Why? What happened on New Years?"

"I don't know!" Cassie replied. "I was stuck here, not living it up at some fabulous party on the Upper East Side like you guys."

"It was in Brooklyn."

"Whatever, that's a minor detail. I want to know why Blair is going on a date with Carter Baizen, whoever he is-"

"She's going out with _Carter_?" Nate asked. "When?"

"Tonight. Now."

"So what, he just flew over here to take her out?"

"Romantic huh?"

"Mmm." Nate mumbled taking a large swig from his bottle.

"So she didn't tell you?"

"I don't think we're exactly….you know…friends at the moment."

"Let me guess, something to do with Chuck?"

"When isn't it?"

"I don't get it." Cassie frowned, taking a sip form her beer. "What happened between the two of them?"

"On New Years?" Nate asked. "Or what happened between the two of them period?"

The blonde shrugged. "There's something between them-"

"It's called sexual tension."

"No I don't mean that." Cassie laughed. "Although, yeah, you're right, but I mean, there's something else. Like if he didn't act the way he did, I would have sworn he loves her."

"He does." Nate replied simply, taking another large swig.

"And Blair loves him too?"

This time Nate shrugged. "I don't know any more."

"But she used to?"

"In high school. But now, it's almost like she's outgrown it all, or at least, I thought she had until New Years. He seems to bring out the worst in her and I hate that."

"So that's what all the 'game' stuff is about?"

"The thing with Blair is that she's the most competitive woman I've ever met. She has to be the best at everything, and Chuck's the same, so they get off on competing against each other. I can't remember how many bets they had in high school but one of them was always the winner. I just think she's better than that."

"Do you love her, Nate?" Cassie asked quietly. She'd watched the two of them interacting plenty of times, with eyes for only each other but neither had ever admitted anything.

He shrugged. "I suppose, but not in an 'I'm in love with her' way. Just, she's a really good friend now, and I miss what we had before Chuck got here."

"Do you think you should tell her?" Cassie asked. "How you feel, I mean."

"I was the worst boyfriend to her when we went out." Nate laughed almost sadly. "I slept with her best friend for God's sake. She deserves to just…do what she wants you know. If she wants to go on dates with asses like Carter then that's what she should do because she never got that chance in high school you know?" He laughed again out of sheer embarrassment. "I think that's the most talking I've ever done. Can we move on now? Football's on tv."

-

"I need a warming glass of your finest scotch Nathaniel, I'm freezing my balls off." Chuck declared as he entered Nate's dorm room, unravelling the scarf from around his neck before he looked up and noticed Cassie.

"Cassandra, how very nice to see you." He nodded with a Chuck-style smile in her direction.

"Charles Bass." She returned. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I thought me and my main man here could share a little alcohol, a little smoke, a little chat." He raised an eyebrow as he opened a tin filled with marijuana. "Care to join?"

"I'll pass on the pot, thanks." She returned sarcastically as Chuck put the tin back in his pocket.

"Fine, I'll save it for later. More for me."

He sat down beside Nate on the small couch, pausing as he brought the glass of liquid to his lips. "Where's Waldorf?"

"She's-"

"Carter Baizen is an ass!" Blair huffed, barging through the door and interrupting a startled Cassie as she flung her coat onto the stand by the door, narrowing her eyes as she took in the sight of the blonde and her two ex-boyfriends (if you could really call them that) watching football and drinking. "And what the hell is this?" She gestured to the three of them. "You have a get-together and don't invite me?"

"I-" Nate began, but was interrupted by Chuck.

"You've been on a date with _Carter Baizen_?"

"Yes Chuck, I have." She rolled her eyes, reaching for a glass from Nate's cupboard. "He kissed me on New Years and then took me out for dinner a week later. That's how normal people conduct a relationship."

"I seem to remember my lips together with yours on New Years too." He smirked. "How come I haven't so much as spoken to you until now."

"Oh I don't know, maybe it's something to do with the fact that you called me a slut. In public. In front of my mother."

"My apologies for that." Chuck replied, not seeming like he meant any of it. "I got caught up in the moment."

She eyed him narrowly as she screwed the top back onto the grey goose vodka she knew Nate kept for moments like this before making her way over to the couch. "Move." She told Chuck, who stayed rooted in his place.

Rolling her eyes, Blair placed her drink down on the messy coffee table and then proceeded to seat herself in Nate's lap, much to the surprise of him, and Cassie and Chuck.

"If you'd just waited, I would have moved over." Chuck snarled through gritted teeth.

"Well, I'm comfy now." Blair replied, shooting a very fake smile his way as she rested her head against Nate's chest tiredly.

"Bad date?" he asked her as she sighed and he sipped from his bottle of beer.

She nodded. "Remember when you punched him at Cotillion?"

"Yeah."

"Well if we ever get to go back in time, can you punch him again from me?"

Nate chuckled and moved his arm so that it was around her body rather than under it. "No problem."

They sat quietly for a while, just watching the football as Chuck fumed silently on the couch next to a clearly comfortable Blair and Nate.

"Hey look!" Cassie squealed with excitement, pointing to the window. "It's snowing!"

"Great." Chuck grunted. "Now our feet will get wet walking to class."

"Not like you go much." Blair mumbled.

"What's your point?"

"Some people like the snow." She replied. "I for one love white nights."

Chuck rolled his eyes at her out-of-nowhere enthusiasm and took a long gulp of scotch as he realised that perhaps Yale wasn't going to be quite as he anticipated.

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	15. White Lies

**A/N- **I should have updated at the weekend like I usually do, but there was a little part of this that didn't fit together right, so I had to work on it. But now it's done :) So it's thank you time! To **Brenda, sam, Noirreigne, LynniePearl, Heavenlydoll, cityhorizon, Gaara-LOve, YouSure, princetongirl, Edwardslover09, MissDK, flipped, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Miss Anthrope, Emma, Treesh Aradia, EnglandOCfan, :D, amberislalalove, leah **and **Forgetmenevermore **you guys rock! Your reviews always mean a lot to me, so please keep them coming :)

Snow-frolicking below...

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 14: White Lies 

"Put your snow boots on, we're going sledding." Cassie squealed to an un-enthusiastic Blair, who, at that particular moment, was burrowing further under the duvet to find warmth. "Blair, come on!" The blonde threw back the covers much to the anger of a now _very _cold Blair.

"Cassie." She said through gritted teeth. "It is snowing, its cold and do I look like I own a pair of God damn snow boots?"

"No, that's what I thought." Cassie replied with a small smirk somewhat reminiscent of Chuck Bass playing upon her lips. "But I live here and it snows all the time in Winter. You have Chanel purses, I have snow boots."

"You've got to be kidding." Blair groaned as she tried to wrap her arms around her freezing body. She made a mental note that silk was certainly not meant for wearing in January.

"Not kidding, very excited."

Blair finally opened an eye to shoot a death glare at her roommate who was awfully perky for that time in the morning – and dressed. "Not excited, _very _pissed at you right now."

"Come on B, how often does it snow at home?"

Blair frowned and offered a confused expression. "All the time, I'm from New York."

"Oh yeah."

"Well, I bet you don't have great places to go sledding."

"Central Park?" The brunette offered, now more amused than cross. But still cold.

"Right, well, how does Bowen Field sound?"

"Like a greenfield site for budget housing."

"I'll make you pancakes if you get up and dressed." Cassie offered.

"With blueberries?"

"And pomegranate too if you'd like?"

"Fine." Blair rolled her eyes and grumbled. "But if I catch pneumonia I'm blaming you."

"I'll hold myself fully responsible. Now, I'm going to wake up the boys while you get changed."

"What?"

"Well it'll be fun if Nate and Chuck come too."

Blair scoffed. "Chuck frolicking in the snow? Not going to happen."

-

Turns out that Chuck frolicking in the snow – as Blair originally thought – was not going to happen.

"What's the point of sledding anyway?" He grumbled as the four of them stood at the top of a snow-covered hill that was already home to tracks made by current early-risers. "All you do it fall off and get wet."

"It's called having fun!" Cassie replied, planting her sled down at the top of the hill, bright blonde hair poking out from under the blue bobble hat on her head.

Nate laughed. "Chuck only calls something fun if it involves high-price hookers and a lot of hash."

Chuck cocked an eyebrow at his best friend and then at Blair. "Actually, there are other things I consider to be fun aside from those two afore-mentioned."

Blair shot him a death glare from underneath her white fur hate but he smirked and continued.

"It does however, involve a limo and a certain Wal-"

"Pass me the sled Cassie." Blair cut in, lips pressed into a lipstick stained pout.

"If you wanted a ride Waldorf, all you had to do was ask."

His smirk disappeared when she got that look on her face that told him he wasn't going to like what she was about to do.

"Okay Chuck, thanks for the advice." He forced a sarcastic smile as Cassie handed over the sled and Blair turned to Nate. "Nate, will you ride with me?"

The man in the middle looked uneasy as he mounted the back of the sled and Chuck dug the heel of his shoe further into the snow as the brunette turned to him, her hair blowing in soft curls around her face, the white fur trim around her hat shielding her eyes as the same trim on her mittens did for her wrists. She looked like a snow queen in the long white coat and borrowed boots with her ruby lips vivid against the blank backdrop, and yet as she turned her body back to face Chuck, peering over Nate's shoulder she smiled. "See you when I get off."

And then Nate let them slide downwards because he couldn't do the whole tension-thing any longer.

"So you and Chuck: still not friends huh?" Nate asked when they reached the bottom of the hill and Blair was firmly back on her feet.

"We were never friends."

"You know what I mean."

"He assaulted me in public on New Years!"

Nate laughed. "Blair, he kissed you. I don't think that's grounds for assault accusations."

"I didn't want to be kissed."

"You looked pretty at home kissing Carter."

"Yes, well, that was different."

"How?"

"Eww Nate." Blair screwed up her nose. "This is weird."

"What's weird?"

"Talking to you about kissing."

He laughed again as they started their trek back up the hill, sled in tow. "What happened with you and Carter anyway?"

"He thought the way to impress me was by flying me back to Manhattan on a jet."

"Sounds horrible." Nate returned sarcastically.

Blair rolled her eyes. "He tried to feel me up." She moved a stray strand of hair away from her lips as the flakes of snow started getting heavier around them. "After two minutes."

"He forced himself on you in the air?" Nate gasped horrified.

"He didn't force himself on me." She replied. "And we weren't in mid-air, we never left the ground."

"So what happened?"

"I said I wasn't that kind of a girl and he said it didn't seem that way judging by New Years."

"That -"

"So I hit him where it hurt." Blair grinned and laughed. "I should probably warn Serena though." She mused. "He did mention something about a blonde in California who'd be 'up for anything'."

-

The roads and sidewalks had been thickly carpeted in white by the time the four of them left Bowen Field with even Chuck having been on a sled-ride or five. They trudged, wet and cold after a snowball fight turned personal – Chuck being aimed at more times than anyone else by Blair, back to campus, Blair's feet the only part of her still snug in Cassie's snow boots. The blonde herself was a mess of electric blue, but a cute one at that, and even with smudged eyeliner and unkempt hair, Blair envied her for looking a million miles cooler than anyone else on the slopes. But even wet and cold, Blair herself still resembled a snow queen.

She wouldn't deny the boys looked cute too – Nate with his token navy striped scarf and gloves, Chuck in ridiculous yellow and brown looking much like a 2010 version of a brownie guide would if said guide had been dressed by Mathew Williamson.

"Nate's dorm for hot chocolate and cookies and a movie?" Cassie suggested, adjusting her hat so that she could see from under it to eye Chuck, who looked dangerously like he was thinking too much about something.

"Why is it always my dorm?" He asked with a frown. "I don't even have any hot chocolate powder."

"You don't have a roommate." The blonde replied simply.

"I do."

"Yeah but he's never there. Besides, yours is cosier."

"But you and Blair always have food. I only have chips and salsa dip."

"And scotch." Chuck offered.

Nate nodded. "And scotch."

"And beer." Cassie added.

"But none of those things are hot chocolate or cookies."

Cassie huffed. "Fine. Blair and I will supply the drinks and snacks, and you can supply the venue."

"What about Chuck?"

"Got any good movies." The blonde asked.

"That doesn't include homemade porn." Blair snapped in.

"And here I thought I'd finally found a great opportunity to show people our sex tape."

Blair scoffed.

"What? It's not like we haven't all seen each other naked."

Chuck's comment was followed by a violent protest from Cassie, Nate and Blair about who hadn't seen who naked, and how Chuck was such an ass etc, etc.

"Okay fine." He relented. "I'll bring something less x-rated."

Cassie nodded. "Good. But hot showers first. I'm freezing."

"Well then." Chuck smirked. "This would be an excellent time for those who haven't seen each other naked to do so."

Nate rolled his eyes and slapped Chuck on the shoulder. "It's times like this I know why girls hate you so much." He chuckled.

"There's a fine line between love and hate Nathaniel. Something Waldorf knows only too well."

"Yeah, you're right." Blair faux-sighed. "You love you, I hate you." She shrugged. "Swings and roundabouts I guess."

-

"Cassie's making the drinks." Blair informed the boys as she settled with a blanket on Nate's couch.

"And you're not helping because…"

"I don't know how." She replied simply. "Besides, someone had to bring the blanket."

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "How very romantic of you."

"I get cold."

"That I know." He replied. "I remember many occasion you pressing your naked b-"

"I'm going to help Cassie." Nate interrupted. He was definitely sure he didn't want to hear the details of Chuck and Blair's ex-sex life, even if he had heard some of them before. The best friend and the ex-girlfriend was a little too much to comprehend.

"Blair." Chuck's voice was a little softer, a little different when he heard the door to Cassie and Blair's dorm open and close again. "About the Winter Formal. I-"

"I'm not sure what reaction you were trying to get that night." She shrugged faux-simply. Her knees were weakening and her lips were trembling and it was taking everything she had to stop her voice from cracking too. She wasn't sure when it was that just being around him alone had this much of an effect on her, but she didn't like it.

"Well I'm sorry if you expected more from me."

"I don't expect anything from you anymore." She replied.

"But you used to?"

She shrugged again. "There was a brief – thank God - moment in time where I actually trusted you." She put on that fake laugh that she knew he hated. "And I learned my lesson."

"Blair I'm sor-"

"Don't be. I'm not. It was bound to happen sooner or later, I guess you just chose sooner." She struggled to raise an eyebrow. "Ever the economical worker."

He shook his head. "And for New Years. I didn't mean to-"

"Call me a slut? Kiss me?"

"The first one." He replied. "I meant every bit of that kiss, I just-"

She shrugged again. "I don't care anymore Chuck."

"You don't care?"

"I'm done playing games." She was lying now. She wasn't done, she'd never be done as long as he was around.

He nodded. "So you and Nate are-"

"I don't have to justify what Nate and I are." She replied, turning away from him. "Especially not to you."

The door opened again and in came Cassie and Nate, each with two mugs in their hands. "Hot chocolate, freshly served." The blonde smiled, handing her spare mug to Blair as she settled down on the couch next to her, curling her feet under her body as Blair crossed her legs primly.

"Hang on." Nate declared, placing his own mug on the coffee table. "We can't all fit on the couch if you two sit like that."

"The floor's comfy." Blair returned. "Sit there."

"If it's that comfy, you sit there."

"Nate." She whined, pouting. "Be a gentleman."

"Sorry." He laughed. "My dorm, my rules."

"Urgh fine." Blair huffed as she and Cassie stood up to let the boys sit on the couch and rolled her eyes as her friend sat herself back down on top of Nate.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not sitting on the floor. The boys are just as comfy as the couch anyway."

Blair surveyed her options and decided that perhaps the blonde was right, and Chuck's lap would prove more comfy than the hard floor. Sitting herself down, she wriggled until his legs had parted wide enough for her to be sitting without anything digging into her, that was, until she felt something semi-hard pressed against her back. Smirking to herself as Cassie draped the blanket over the four of them, Blair heard Chuck groan slightly in the back of his throat as she shifted her weight backwards, a little closer into him.

So she'd told him she was done? A little white lie never hurt anyone, right?

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	16. The Wrong Heart

**A/N- **To **Norireigne, YouSure, 3venst4r, princetongirl, LynniePearl, Edwardslover09, mystripedskirt, cityhorizon, Gaara-LOve, finnlover, brenda, Blood Red Kiss of Death, ashtondene, Jenny345, Heavenlydoll, Bookworm455, Lauren1102, Blair4eva, EnglandOCfan, flipped, **and **sailor cyanide, **THANK YOU for your reviews last chapter. I seem to be repeating myself every chapter when I say this, but these reviews really do mean a lot.

Okay, as of the chapter after next, this story is about to pick up speed. I know it's probably been feeling a little slow-paced, but I needed to develop the characters first before I add a little (well, maybe more than just a little) drama. Lyrics in this chapter are _Sometime Around Midnight _by _The Airbourne Toxic Event_. If you haven't already heard the song, listen to it, it's really lovely. Kinda goo to have playing while you read this :)

Enjoy xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 15: The Wrong Heart

_It starts sometime around midnight._

_Or at least that's when you lose yourself for a moment or two._

Valentine's Day wouldn't normally have meant anything to Chuck Bass. So maybe it would have given him an excuse, a year or two ago, for the women in his bed and the rose petals on the floor. He didn't ever buy cards or candy or stuffed animals because Valentine's was, in his opinion, a marketing scam, but a brilliant one at that.

Valentine's Day to Blair Waldorf however, was completely different. Three years ago, two even, she'd have spent the entire week before ordering tea lights and scented candles, trawling the lingerie departments at every high-end designer store she could find. Said lingerie however, was never seen, not by Nate anyway. She'd search for heart-shaped cupcakes, never to eat really, but for decoration because for Blair, it was the sentiment that mattered.

He bought her a necklace once, he remembered. And then he cringed at the thoughtlessness of it all, because even then, Chuck picked out the design for him, made sure it was in a box topped with a ruby bow: red for Valentines, ruby for Blair. He couldn't remember the year, but figured it was irrelevant now because it mattered then, and back then, at the time, the whole thing didn't seem to matter to him at all in the first place. So Nate decided maybe he'd try and do something nice for her this Valentines, not as a boyfriend, certainly not as _her _boyfriend, but as a friend, because there were there now: _friends_, and he wanted her to know that she did mean something at least.

They'd been at the wine bar for a while now, a good couple hours at least, and the only reason they hadn't left was because every time they tried, someone would buy Blair a drink, or Cassie, or more often than not, the pair of them would get sent cocktails from nameless guys across the room. Apparently, the two of them were more than just quite popular, Chuck had discovered, and after reports on the news and in the local paper about a gang of muggers targeting drunken college students in the area, the boys had vowed between them to make sure their girls weren't left alone.

The snow had melted a good two weeks ago, and the air was less harsh now that February had settled and the buds on the trees lining the main driveway on campus were plumper, thriving in the few hours at midday when the sun shone properly again.

Chuck and Blair had managed, of sorts, to get past New Years, or at least had some sort of unspoken agreement never to mention it. She wasn't done playing though, he could tell, because whenever a cocktail landed in front of her on that bar, she looked over, offered the smallest of smirks (he'd taught her well) before taking a sip and then raising her glass. Chuck wasn't sure whether Nate had noticed any of it, and if he had, he certainly hadn't taken it upon himself to make it an issue.

"She's good for her." Nate told him as they sat at their table, Nate drinking a beer, Chuck with scotch as usual. It was a wine bar, but that didn't seem to prevent the boys from drinking anything other than their usual.

"Who's good for who?"

"Cassie for Blair. Reminds me of Serena really."

Chuck scoffed. "Cassie's nothing like Serena."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"Too innocent to be likened to van der Woodsen."

"Serena was innocent."

Chuck scoffed again. "And I'm the next President of America."

"Oh come on man, she's hardly in Georgina Sparks' territory is she?"

"She slept with you when you were Blair's boyfriend."

"And you brought that up why?" Nate asked.

"Just using an example to demonstrate how _not _innocent Serena is."

Nate held his hands up laughing. "Fine, fine, she's not that innocent."

"You're quoting Britney Spears."

"You know the lyrics to Britney Spears songs?"

Chuck huffed into his glass. "Will you go and tell the girls to hurry up, I want to get to Alchemy before the band starts."

"I didn't even think you wanted to see Asher's band."

Chuck sunk the brown liquid into his throat and swallowed. "I'm in the mood for some melodramatic piano-playing."

-

_All these memories come rushing like feral waves to your mind._

_Of the curl of your bodies, like two perfect circles entwined._

_And you feel hopeless and homeless and lost in the haze of the wine._

She reminded him of a time when they were nothing but acquaintances, of when she was his best friend's girlfriend, and therefore simply a face to him. They didn't have opinions about the other back then, not really, but tonight, the white dress she was wearing made her look as pure as the last time she'd worn one, back in the Hamptons when they'd been standing on the steps and he'd refused her the one thing she'd ever asked of him.

He couldn't look at her in the way he did during high school anymore because he wasn't that person, and seeing her at the front of the club, right below where Asher's band was playing confirmed it even more.

He wasn't aware she even liked the kind of music the band was playing, but seeing her dancing with Cassie, her hips seemingly going in slow motion as her head turned and brunette curls bounced from left to right, Chuck concluded that he'd have to try a different approach, a different way to be around her because they were never friends, and so after being lovers, they couldn't go back to something they'd never been in the first place. He wouldn't ever try and be "just friends" with Blair Waldorf because it was impossible, and that's why he was in a race against time with Nate. He and Blair had never been "just friends" either, and the pair of them seemed to be heading more towards dating than anything else.

Or so Chuck thought until he saw a pair of hands snake around his favourite brunette's waist. He set down his glass, stood up to get a closer view until he was pulled back down into his set again by Nate.

"Leave her."

"What?"

"You know what I mean: Blair."

Chuck stiffened his jaw.

"That's Aaron. He's on my team, he's alright." Nate told him chuckling a little. "You're not going to get her back Chuck." He continued, a little more serious. "Just let her have fun."

"_Let her_?"

"Don't make a scene like at New Years."

"I'm not making a scene." He grumbled. "If she wants to publicly humiliate herself by sticking her tongue down some loser's throat then that's her choice."

Nate shook his head. "The only person she's humiliating is you."

"Right Nathaniel."

"You're jealous of Aaron aren't you?"

"I don't need to be jealous of anybody."

"That doesn't really answer the question."

Their conversation was cut by two blondes approaching their table with the opening line: "It's Nate right? You're in my class."

Chuck rolled his eyes as Nate shifted round on the booth seat and got up. "Ladies." He raised an empty glass and nodded at the two girls sat beside Nate. "I'm going to the bar."

-

_Then she leaves, with someone you don't know._

_But she makes sure you saw her: she looks right at you and bolts._

_She walks out the door, your blood boiling, your stomach in ropes._

"What is it Chuck? You look like you've seen a ghost." Cassie asked, following his gaze towards the door where Blair and Aaron were disappearing. "Oh."

He quickly snapped back into high school mode and downed the glass of liquid in his hands. It didn't matter that he already couldn't see straight or that his legs didn't seem quite capable of working correctly.

"I'm going to take off." He drawled.

"I'll come with you."

"No." His voice was sharp. "Stay, watch the band. Nate's over there." He nodded to the table where Nate hadn't left, still talking to the two blondes from earlier.

"Where are you going?"

He shrugged. "A different bar."

"It doesn't mean anything you know."

"What doesn't?"

"Blair and Aaron."

Chuck shrugged again. "Who cares about Blair and Aaron?"

Cassie sighed into her own drink. "I'm guessing you're going to tell me you don't."

"See you tomorrow." He ignored her response as he placed the empty glass on the bar beside him.

_Then you walk, under the streetlights._

_And you're too drunk to notice that everyone is staring at you._

_You just don't care what you look like: the world is falling around you._

-

_You just have to see her, you just have to see her…_

She was there, against a wall with a strap of her no doubt ridiculously expensive dress falling down over her shoulder. He couldn't see her face for her tumbling curls until he saw Aaron's hand on her chin, the same way he knew his hand used to tilt her face towards him, and he saw the smile playing on her lips as the blonde boy kissed her.

They were only a couple blocks away from Alchemy and he couldn't help but let his eyes burn at the two of them against the wall near the row of cabs. He should have known Blair Waldorf would put on a show.

"So I'll pick you up Tuesday night after practise." Chuck heard Aaron say after he kissed her for what he hoped would be the last time. The blonde opened the door for her and he watched Blair hesitate before she sat down on the backseat.

"Wait!" Chuck shouted, crossing the road before he'd had time to fully register that Aaron was going to let his prospective girlfriend ride home alone in a cab. "Are you stupid?"

"Chuck?" Blair narrowed her eyes at the boy stood between the open cab door and Aaron. "What are you doing?"

"Coming with you."

"I don't need a babysitter. Especially one that's drunk."

"I'm not drunk."

"Well you're not sober."

"What the hell are you doing getting in a cab on your own? Why isn't he taking you home?" Chuck demanded, turning his head sharply towards Aaron.

"He's staying to watch the band."

"So what, you just weren't going to tell any of us you were leaving?"

"I told Cassie."

"Nate and I would have come with you."

"I don't need you and Nate to look out for me all the time." She offered an apologetic look to Aaron.

"No Blair, he's right. I should have taken you home first." He pushed past Chuck and sat beside Blair on the backseat. She reached her tiny wrist to close the door, ignoring Chuck setting his jaw, hands in his pockets as he stared at the cab.

He watched as Aaron gave the driver directions and the cab set off, Blair's face turned away from the window.

_You just have to see her: you know that she'll break you in two._

-

"You look happy." Nate told Blair as she and Cassie placed their brown bags on the kitchen counter.

"Aaron's stepped things up a notch." Cassie smirked, reaching to a cupboard to find four plates for the pastries she and Blair had brought back from the bakery.

"Really?" Nate glanced up briefly from his textbook.

"I didn't think he had another level to step things up _on_ to." Chuck muttered under his breath, curling his nose up as he examined the pastry the girls had brought back for his brunch.

"Well he posted a heart in the Valentines window at Bennie's." The blonde smiled, noting Chuck's head duck from the corner of her eye, his posture telling her he knew more about the Valentines heart than he was letting on. "You know, the bakery on the corner at the end of Chapel Street."

"He put a message on a paper heart for me in the window." Blair sighed, making a point of shooting Chuck a you-should-take-note glance. "So romantic."

"So what, you just go into some bakery and write a note on a heart-shaped piece of paper and stick it in the window?" Nate asked frowning.

"For your sweetheart." Blair sighed again.

Nate closed his textbook and took a bite from his croissant. "I didn't think things between you and Aaron were that serious?"

The brunette shrugged. "Neither did I."

Chuck scoffed. "What? As serious as putting a note in a window?"

He avoided Cassie's inquisitive glare and focused on his own maple-pecan plait: his favourite.

"So what did it say then?" Nate asked. "This note."

"I'd rather not say. It's personal"

"It's in the window of a bakery on one of the busiest streets in the city."

"Your sarcasm sucks now we're here." Blair pouted. "You never had any before."

"There's a first time for everything."

"Like for certain people to be thoughtful." Cassie mumbled under her breath, shooting Chuck a pointed look before receiving a kick in the shin as punishment.

"It said: _For Blair: the heart you-_"

"Do we really need to hear Waldorf bang on about her love life?" Chuck drawled, toying with his maple-pecan pastry. "It's getting a little dull."

"You're jealous." Blair raised an eyebrow.

"No."

"Yes you are."

"Guys!" Cassie exclaimed, laughing a little as the pair relented and Nate devoured the last of his croissant. "You're ruining my favourite pastry brunch with your bickering." She offered a semi-sympathetic glance in Chuck's direction for Blair gushing over the wrong heart and yet, she couldn't understand why he'd even done it in the first place.

He shrugged at her when he had the chance, narrowed his eyes and silently told her they'd say nothing more about it before throwing on his jacket and scarf.

"I'm going to the library."

Blair scoffed. "Chuck Bass studying? What is there, like some _hot new librarian_ prowling the economics books section?"

"Actually yes." He cocked an eyebrow. "And she wears this amazing perfume – I've never smelt anything as sweet before."

Cassie watched as a frown etched itself across Blair's face, and then the brunette removed it, hid it behind a flick of her hair and an eye roll accompanied by a faux-disgusted tut. If he was telling the truth – which she highly doubted, but could never really be sure about, the blonde was almost definitely sure that the duo had the wrong hearts in mind.

* * *


	17. Spring Break Fever

**A/N- **I know it's been AGES since I last updated this. Uni is seriously crazy right now, it's like the lecturers save all their assignments for you to do at once just to make you panic like crazy. Still, I'm donw (for now) so I thought I owed it to you fabulous readers to update. I've had half of this chapter written for weeks, but I never got the other half finished until now, so here I am :) Massive thank yous to **L, poochbello, Laurienlaurie, juicygirlx04, chrissyx3, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Madroxj, LynniePearl, Edwardslover09, Brenda, princetongirl, Gaara-LOve, sailor cyanide, Lauren1102, Heavenlydoll, YouSure, MissDK, bc2180, Shanynde, uncorazonquebrado, :D, Blair4eva, flipped, **and **3venst4r **for your reviews (and in some cases, probing for me to keep going)

To those of you whose stories I haven;t reviewed in ages *cough*Lynne*cough, it's not that I've read and not bothered to review, it's that I've not even read yet. Everything is stored in my inbox so expect some rediculously late reviews in the near future :)

I hope you'll all stick with this story as I am now back (with a plan for the next few chapters) and things are about to develop. Enjoy and pretty plese review at the end. Love to you all :) xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 16: Spring Break Fever (Part 1)

Blair was thankful for the Connecticut weather having turned much warmer throughout March, meaning that she wasn't quite so cold underneath the cashmere sweaters and silk cardigans. Her skin was still milky-white though, no hint of the golden colour Serena would no doubt be sporting, the same colour that Nate turned throughout the Summer months when he'd spend hours shooting hoops at one of Manhattan's many basketball courts.

She used to watch him sometimes, if she and Serena were walking through Central Park with an ice cream cone each and they had a little spare time before one of Lily's functions or extra Latin tuition. It was one of the rare times she guessed that they all just hung out, no agenda (not for her anyway), just like anyone else their age would have done.

"Jeez Blair, have you packed enough stuff?" Nate asked the brunette upon seeing the large suitcase stood by the door. "How many clothes can you possibly need for Tijuana anyway?"

"Not many, I hope." Chuck drawled, eyeing Blair up and down as she curled her lip.

"You disgust me."

"Now now Waldorf, there's no need to go throwing insults around before we've even spent a night together."

Blair turned herself away from Chuck and directed her body towards Nate. "Just because we are going to a different country, it doesn't mean my standards of appearance can slip."

"We're going for a week."

"Nine days actually, we'll be travelling for two."

"I'm so jealous of you guys." Cassie pouted from behind her magazine at the counter top.

"You're going skiing!" Blair countered. "I thought you were looking forward to a week away with Asher?"

"I was. But then I found out we're going with his _family_."

"Oh."

"We're renting a cabin big enough to sleep twelve." The blonde frowned. "How big can his family be?"

Nate laughed. "Oh it's big."

"Big enough so that I'm not going to be able to remember everyone's names?"

"You can still come with us you know." Blair offered. "Ditch the Waltons to party in TJ."

"Yeah." Chuck agreed, eyeing the blonde up and down who was wearing only a short dress and ankle boots. "We could use someone with less clothing than Waldorf here."

"Tempting." Cassie smiled. "But maybe I'll meet the goddess that is 'Serena van der Woodsen' another time."

"Did you just air-quote my friend's name?" Blair laughed.

"Well you all make her sound like some sort of higher power."

Nate chuckled and took a hold of Blair's suitcase. "You sure you don't want to come Cassie? Don't worry about packing a suitcase, I'm sure Blair will have enough in here to see you through a month in Mexico."

"Enough with the damn suitcase jokes." The brunette huffed. "I've packed sensibly, and when we get to Tijuana, I'm sure you'll realise that."

"Have a great time guys." Cassie laughed as Nate rolled his eyes and Chuck mumbled something about scotch as Blair prodded him in the back with a very manicured fingernail before closing the door behind them.

-

"Good lord it's like a commercial for an MTV Spring Break Special." Blair winced, eyeing the scantily-clad group of high school girls at the opposite side of the luggage carousel.

"And this is only the airport." Chuck smirked at Nate. "In California. Nice."

The two of them were met with slaps across the chest from a very classy-looking Blair, her floral sundress accessorized with a Pucci headscarf. "Can you at least wait until Serena is here to keep me company before you start eyeing up other women?"

"Why Waldorf?" Chuck asked. "Are you feeling a little left out?"

"No, it's because it's rude to stare at semi-naked girls in broad daylight."

Nate grinned. "If they didn't want us to stare, they wouldn't be wearing shorts with bodies like that."

"Great." Blair rolled her eyes. "I should have known you two would take this opportunity to hit on barbies for the duration of this trip. I knew I should have stayed in New Haven."

"Has the humidity gone to your bitch button?" Chuck asked. "Because all this is starting to remind me of the Hamptons."

"Just look out for the damn luggage while I go to the bathroom."

"What do you think she's packed in that suitcase?" Nate asked Chuck as soon as the brunette was out of earshot.

Chuck shrugged. "Who knows. Carter Baizen probably."

"What?" Nate laughed.

"Or that Aaron guy. Or whoever else at Yale that has seen her bed linen."

"Are you calling her a slut?"

"No." Chuck shook his head. I just don't get it. In Manhattan she…whatever, just forget it."

"Do you still love her?"

Chuck fixed his eyes on the luggage carousel, pretending not to hear his friend.

"Chuck, I said, do you-"

"I heard you the first time." He hissed, cutting Nate up before he could finish his question.

"It was you that put the heart in the window wasn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Nathaniel."

"In the window of the bakery. Blair thought it was Aaron and it was you. You publicly apologized. And-"

"And she didn't get it."

"Didn't get what?" Blair asked, startling the two of them, who, during their conversation, had missed Nate's luggage. "You two are useless. You only have to look for three cases and you've already missed one!"

"What's stopping you from getting them?" Chuck asked.

"They're heavy."

"If you want equality princess, you have to do your own heavy lifting."

Blair curled her nose up and huffed off in the direction of Nate's suitcase.

"It's because you say things like that." He hissed in Chuck's ear as he set off after Blair in search of his case. "That's why she doesn't get it."

-

"B!" A very tanned and very blonde Serena squealed at her friend at the arrivals lounge before launching herself at the group. Blair almost fell backwards as her face was smothered with white-blonde waves, her nose enveloped in a scent that was a cross between the beach and cotton candy. She'd always smelled like that: a fairground, even when they were kids. Blair just smelled of Chanel.

She was wearing shorts, denim and frayed, teamed with beaded sandals and a brown cashmere camisole, and to Blair, she looked like she'd lived in California her entire life. Even her eyes seemed bluer, her teeth whiter and her body lighter. Blair was still brunette and pristine and as manicured as ever.

"You look like a poster girl for the West Coast." Blair laughed, hugging the blonde another time.

"And you look like you just came from the Hamptons." Serena returned, fingering the classic material of her sundress. "Aren't you too hot?"

"I'm fine." Blair replied. "Now I hope your driver is more of a gentleman than these two here, because I just had to lift my own case of the carousel and it's freaking heavy."

Serena laughed. "B, I'm driving."

"What? You haven't got a licence, that's illegal!"

"I got my licence in California. I started learning when I first moved here."

"Nobody told me this!"

"We thought it might put you off." Nate told her.

"Hey! My driving's not that bad." Serena returned. "In fact, I passed my test first time!"

Blair winced. "You'd better keep two hands on the wheel at all times."

"What about when I need to change gear?"

"You haven't got an automatic?"

Serena shook her head. "I prefer manual. Now are you coming, or are you all just going to stand here and criticise my driving before you've even experienced it?"

"I'll go with the second option." Blair answered.

"Come on B, I'm not that bad." The blonde smiled, drawing Blair's lips into a smile with her index finger. "Promise."

-

Blair wasn't sure if it was the intense heat, the amount of time she'd been awake without sleep, or the swerving from lane to lane on the freeway, but she definitely didn't feel good. And from the look on Nate and Chuck's faces, she figured they were thinking the same thing.

"You might want to save your tyres and just stay in the same lane." Chuck offered, gulping down half a bottle of water in two seconds. "And what's with the heat over here? I feel like I'm inside an oven."

"I can feel the ends of my hair splitting with the sun." Blair moaned. "Good thing I brought enough product with me."

"It's only going to get warmer the closer we get to Mexico." Serena informed them before swinging violently to the left to shoot past a Mercedes.

"Do you think you should, you know, indicate before you pull out like that?" Nate asked.

"There were no cars coming, I checked in my mirror."

"Still, it might have been nice to let the people in that Mercedes know you were going to fly past them."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Talk about backseat drivers you guys."

They stayed quiet for a while, forcing themselves not to point out that if she turned the stereo down, she'd be able to hear the engine, or that she didn't need to change down gear every time she overtook someone.

"Serena I think that truck driver wants to be in this lane." Nate pointed out, indicating the large truck slowing down in the lane beside them.

"Well I can't move over, there's no room."

"Then slow down."

"I was in this lane first."

"I don't think that's how it works in driving. This isn't _your_ lane."

The truck driver flashed his lights as they neared a sign for the next exit and Blair noticed Chuck's hands turning whiter as they gripped onto a handle above the door.

"I can't go anywhere!" Serena shouted at the truck as the driver started to veer over into her lane. The blonde beeped her horn as the truck continued to move over, and before they knew what was happening, they were spinning at the side of the road, dust flying up over the windows as the truck roared away up the exit.

The car came to a stop as the four sat wide-eyed, stomachs lurching as they managed to breathe a sigh of relief, the offending truck nowhere to be seen.

"How the hell did you pass your test the first time?" Chuck gasped, his hand still grabbing at the handle above the door.

Serena shrugged with a small smile. "I wore a little skirt."

-

"This looks like something from a horror movie." Blair wrinkled her nose at the sight of the motel room in front of them.

"Come on B, it's not going to be that bad, and we only need to sleep here for a few hours." Serena replied, forging ahead. "And it looks quite full. The motels in horror movies are always empty."

"If you're scared Waldorf, you can always sleep with me." Chuck offered with a smirk.

"I'd rather go for the horror movie option."

"Okay, Blair and I will take this bed, you guys can have the one by the window." Serena decided, dumping her bag down.

Nate and Chuck looked horrified. "We can't share the same bed." Chuck replied.

"Why not?"

"Uh, because we're guys."

"You shower together after lacrosse practise." Blair returned.

"That's different, it's not like sharing a bed."

"Well there's a first time for everything."

"I'm not sharing a bed with Chuck." Nate demanded.

Chuck rolled his eyes. "If I didn't share your opinion I would be offended."

"Then one of you will have to sleep on the floor." Blair decided, pulling a disgusted face as she drew back the top sheet on her bed. "Gross."

"If it's that much of a problem, I'll just share with Nate, and Chuck, you can share with B."

"How come I get the perv?"

Serena looked at the brunette blankly. "Uh, because he's my brother."

"Step-brother." Blair countered.

"Well it's bordering on incest, and besides, sleeping with him is nothing you haven't done before."

Nate chuckled at Blair's horrified yet defeated expression and placed his bag on the bed beside Serena's own.

"Keep your hands above the sheets at all times Bass."

"I will if you will."

She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. "That doesn't even make sense."

"Look, I'm hardly going to assault you."

"Just stay on your side of the bed and don't touch me."

"Please." Chuck scoffed. "You're not that irresistible."

"And you're totally resistible."

"Bitch."

"Ass."

"Air?" Nate offered Serena, nodding to the door and then back to Blair and Chuck who appeared to be having a stand-off regarding who would get undressed where.

"Yes please."

-

"Do they always argue about everything?" Serena asked, laughing a little as she sat on the edge of the parking lot wall.

"Yes." Nate replied, clasping his arms around his knees. "Always. Most of the time it's worse and she'll ignore him for a couple days."

"And then?"

"And then she manages to get herself into some sort of situation that he rescues her from, or she starts plotting some scheme which needs his assistance."

"He still really likes her huh?"

"I don't think it's just that he _likes _her." Nate replied.

"You mean-"

"He doesn't admit to anything, so..."

"What about Blair?"

"What about her?"

"Does she love him?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe, deep down. Whatever it was between the two of them that summer we were in the Hamptons, it changed some things."

"Like?"

"I don't know, we don't talk about anything like that. I don't even think she's told Cassie."

"Cassie?"

"The New Haven version of you." Nate laughed. "Kind of."

"You guys have a good time up there huh?" Serena asked.

Nate shrugged. "It's pretty fun. More relaxed than high school." He turned to face her. "But what about you? We haven't heard much about Berkeley."

"California is amazing, I mean, I love living here. It's just…"

"Different?" Nate offered.

"Yeah, but good different you know? But I think of you guys up in Connecticut altogether hanging out like we used to when we were younger. I just miss you I guess."

"Well that's why we're heading to TJ with you and not Aspen with Cassie and Asher and his family."

"I think you'd like it here." Serena smiled. "I could see you hanging out at the beach at night with your surfer buddies, cooking some sausages on a barbeque."

Nate nodded. "I'd like to stay for a while, try it out some time. I kind of like the idea of sunshine every day."

"You should spend the summer here." The blonde suggested. "Instead of going to the Hamptons. Blair could come, and Chuck. It'd be nice to have some old friends to just chill with."

"Sounds amazing." Nate nodded. "I don't think our parents would like it. The Hamptons is tradition."

She shrugged. "Who cares? We've done what our parents wanted us to do our entire lives. That's what I love about California, you know? It's so relaxed and it's too far away for parents to just _drop by_. I mean, I've barely spoken to my mom the whole time I've been here. There's no pressure to get the best grades all the time, and nobody telling me I should have the skinny latte instead of the regular one, or that I should always match my bag to my shoes. It's just…it's what high school should have been." She shrugged again. "And I guess the only downside is that you guys aren't here with me."

They sat in silence for a while, just watching the cars fly past on the freeway, the hot air blanketing them in warmth.

"The air's different here." Nate said softly.

"Pollution."

They laughed and she shook her head. "It's the humidity. Even when it rains it's warm."

"Maybe we should go back inside." Nate suggested. "Just to check those two haven't killed each other."

"They seemed pretty close to doing so."

"And you need rest for driving tomorrow."

"Yeah." She agreed. "And hey, sorry for almost killing you today."

He shrugged. "It wasn't your fault, that truck shouldn't have just pulled out on you like that."

She smiled and placed a hand on his. "Thanks."

"After all, none of us three can drive. We'd have been flying if it wasn't for you."

"Yeah, I'm beginning to think that would have been a better option."

-

"Nate look at them!" Serena squealed in a semi-whisper, smiling at the sight of Chuck's hands directly flat on top of the covers while Blair had pressed herself against his chest. His lips were against her forehead and hers were against his jaw, her hands over the top of his arms: Chuck obeying every one of her rules regarding sleeping arrangements. Blair seemed to have broken every one.

Nate nodded with a half smile, turning off the light before removing his shirt and shorts. Serena too took off her shorts, revealing white shorties that couldn't be seen in the dark. The bra under her camisole matched, as Nate drew in a breath as she laid down in the bed beside him.

"Do you want to put on one of my t-shirts?"

"I'm fine." She replied, offering a reassuring smile through the dark. "Nothing you haven't seen before right?"

Nate nodded cautiously. "Right."

"Good night."

He turned to the side, his stomach feeling a little funny after catching sight of Blair curled up against Chuck. "Night."

* * *

Next up? It's TJ baby :)


	18. Spring Break Fever Part 2

**A/N- **Nothing to say other than **justjude, gaspard-is-edward, YouSure, Brenda, nostalgiakills, Blood Red Kiss of Death, jojo.x, indianaxxjones, lauren1102, dancing-supastar, XxXLiasonLuvXxX, amberislalalove, laurienlaurie, limegreen16, 23, L, pincky, The Joker HA, Danielle, Gaara-LOve, jennfa61484, finnlover, Kensley-Jackson, Blair4eva, Heavenly Doll, teddy bear, Lisa, Jenny345, uncorazonquebrado **and** princetongirl **rock for reviewing! Thanks a million you guys :)

I was worried this was in danger of going down the OC route what with the whole TJ road trip thing. So I hope it doesn't seem like that, it's just TJ was a viable option for Spring Break. Makes me long for the days when I walked back to my hotel at 6am with bare feet in million degree temperatures haha. Enjoy guys :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 17: Spring Break Fever (Part 2)

"Nathaniel Archibald, would you slow the eff down!?" Blair shrieked, clinging to Nate's lifejacket for dear life as the seawater splashed up against her face, their jet ski swinging from left to right over the waves. "You're going to kill me!"

"Serena's driving on the way down here was worse." He retorted, spinning the handles of the vehicle round so that they did a full turn as Serena and Chuck's jet ski came into view alongside them.

"I forgot how awesome jet skis are!" Serena exclaimed, pulling her wet hair from out of her face. "But Chuck sucks at driving."

"Big surprise." Blair rolled her eyes as Chuck narrowed his.

"It's not as easy as it looks princess."

"Oh really?"

"Try it if you don't believe me." He indicated the set behind him. "Serena will switch, right sis?"

"Why am I physically repulsed every time you call me that?" the blonde asked, standing up so that she could trade places with a very apprehensive-looking Blair.

"Come on B, put your foot on here the same time as I put mine on yours."

"Are we allowed to switch jet skis in the middle of the ocean like this?"

"It's TJ, no one cares."

"I do, you nearly killed me on the way here, Nate just nearly killed me two minutes ago, and if I fall off now, I might get mangled in the motor."

"Or you could stop being a drama queen and just switch." Serena laughed, giving the brunette no option after placing her left foot firmly beside Nate's.

Blair pouted. "I'm not a drama queen."

"Then switch!"

There was a wobbly moment as Serena flung herself down on the seat a little too hard, forcing Blair to fall against Chuck. Luckily, his hand managed to grab her life jacket as he inched backwards on the seat to make room.

"Thanks." She mumbled as she sat down, placing her hands over the handlebars.

"Anytime."

"Race?" Serena suggested, pointing out a group of rocks at the other end of the beach. "First one to those rocks wins…"

"Wins what?" Nate asked.

"I'm just thinking."

"First one to the rocks wins the choice of bars tonight." Blair decided looking firmly pleased with herself.

"But we're in teams." Nate frowned. "That means Serena and I will have to mutually agree on where to go."

"Oh that won't be a problem." Blair smirked. "Because you guys are going to lose."

Serena smirked back at her friend. "Well if that's the case, then good luck deciding a place to go with Chuck. You two can barely agree on sleeping arrangements."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nate and I saw you guys the other night in the motel room."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Blair replied indignantly.

"Oh really? Well when we get back to the hotel room I'll show you the pictures on my camera. Maybe that will remind you."

"You took freaky pictures of us sleeping?" Chuck asked.

"Not freaky." Serena answered. "Just proof."

"Okay, okay, race time!" Nate declared, holding his arm out to the side to try and shove Chuck off of the back of his jet ski. "On three. ONE, TWO-"

"THREE!" Blair cut in, leaving Nate and Serena in her wake as she jetted off at break-neck speed.

"Jeez Waldorf, I didn't know you had it in you." Chuck shouted, keeping his eyes only half open to avoid the salt stinging.

"Maybe there's a lot of things you don't know about me."

"Like what?"

"Like, I know how to do this." She shouted over her shoulder before swinging the vehicle from side to side to create a wave big enough for her to jump over.

"Are you trying to kill me woman?" He barked, spitting seawater out of his mouth.

"No. But it's a tempting idea."

"Bye guys!" They heard Serena laugh and watched as her and Nate zoomed past them, Nate simply raising his eyebrows at the pair.

"Oh hell no!" Blair gritted her teeth, revving the engine of the jet ski so that they sped up, pulling alongside the other two. "You've gotta do better than that S!" She smirked at the blonde who looked surprised to find the pair alongside of her.

"What?" Serena asked faux-innocently "You mean like this?" She swung her handlebars so that the vehicle almost collided with that of Blair and Chuck, Nate getting close enough to shove Chuck so that he almost lost balance, the only thing saving him from hitting the water were his arms around Blair's waist.

The brunette was quicker the next time: dodging Serena's oncoming attack by swinging her own vehicle across before revving once more to pull ahead. They finished first, only a couple seconds ahead of Serena and Nate, but Blair milked it as much as she could, knowing that they wouldn't have to go and sit in some sports bar or some "kooky" hippie hideaway where everyone was high on marijuana. Although, she _did _have to agree with Chuck, and knowing the Basstard, he would almost certainly vote to go somewhere that involved almost (or even fully) naked girls, whipped cream and 100 year-old malt whiskies.

-

The night air was thick – a different kind of thick to that of the air in Manhattan during summer. It was as though nothing could lift the heat, like her skin was constantly on fire even though it was lathered with cooling moisturiser and insect repellent. Even her hair felt heavy, and her body, like the sun took everything out of her during the day and refused to give it back. No amount of Evian helped, and even Serena had begun to flag a little, she'd noticed.

"How about that one?" Chuck suggested, pointing to a bar across the street as they walked through the main strip, scantily-clad people everywhere.

"Papa Locos?" Blair scoffed. "Chuck, I am not going to a place whose name means 'crazy daddy'."

"Why?"

"Because you can't see inside of it so God knows what's going on in there."

"All the more reason to go in and have a look." Nate grinned at his best friend as the girls made disgusted faces.

"Nathaniel, I think Yale has made you a little morally loose." Chuck said proudly. "How about that one?"

"Sergio's?" Blair screwed her face up again. "It reminds me of one of those middle-aged slimeballs in telenovelas."

"Fine." Chuck rolled his eyes. "But would you just hurry up and pick a bar because otherwise we'll have passed through the strip without even entering a single one."

"Fine." She huffed, scanning the options. "What about that one?"

"TJ West" Serena read. "Oh my God, Kayla told me about this place!" She shrieked. "It has a mechanical rodeo bull!"

"Kayla?" Nate questioned.

"My roommate. She came here when she was in high school. I totally forgot she told me we had to come here."

"A rodeo bull?" Nate groaned.

"Oh come on now Nathaniel." Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Don't deny the girls a ride."

"Why do you always have to make things about sex?" Serena asked. "Wait no, on second thoughts, don't tell me. I don't think I'm ready to learn how the mind of Chuck Bass works."

-

"I'm ready to ride that cow baby!" Serena yelled, her voice seemingly quite slurred. "Giddy up!"

"Serena, it's a bull." Blair giggled, waving her tequila around as she pointed in the direction of the mechanical animal. "And what are you drinking?"

"Vodka?" She shrugged. "Gin? Bacardi? Tequila, maybe. Or a mix. Who knows?" She shrugged again, shouting. "And who cares! I am going to ride me some cow."

"Bull!" Blair shouted after her as she walked away towards the bathroom, shaking her head at the blonde.

"What are you shouting at?" Nate asked the brunette, turning around to see Blair's frown.

"Serena. She keeps calling the bull a cow."

"But isn't a bull a kind of cow?"

"Does it moo?"

"What?" Nate laughed as Blair shouted louder above the music.

"I said, DOES IT MOO? 'Cos if it doesn't then, doesn't it mean it's not a cow?"

"I think they moo." Nate replied, a frown etched across his own forehead. "Kind of."

"What do you mean kind of? Either it moos or it doesn't."

"Well maybe it doesn't moo quite like a dairy cow, but-"

"Oh God." Blair cut in as she turned around to look in the direction of a lot of noise. It was Serena. On a table top. In the shortest skirt known to mankind.

"How many drinks has she had?" Nate asked.

"I don't know. Two? The same as me."

"Looks like more than two." Chuck muttered as they made their way over as the dj turned the music up and a few more girls took up positions on various tables.

"Dude, blondie can MOVE!" Some guy shouted to his friend in reference to Serena, Nate stepping a little closer to her table in turn.

"I know somebody else who has moves." Chuck growled dangerously close to Blair's earlobe as she stood simply watching her best friend.

"Blair, do something." Nate urged as Serena bent down a little too low and showcased some ludicrously expensive panties underneath her skirt.

She looked at Serena, and then back at Chuck, who was stood, arms folded for her to reject Nate's proposition.

Looking back at the blonde, she shrugged "Fine" and joined her friend atop of the table, much to the delight of a squealing Serena.

"Icanevaseestraight." She slurred against Blair's cheek. "Buthisisawesome!"

"S, what have you had?" Blair hissed as they dropped down low, back-to-back as Nate and Chuck looked on, semi-smirking.

"Tequila baby!" She giggled. "Because we're in Me-xi-co."

-

The dj congratulated the pair as the song finished, and above him, Serena shouted "My turn for the rodeo cow!"

"You'll throw up." Blair warned.

"Nope." She shook her head loosely. "No throwing up."

The three of them watched as Serena rocked towards the inflatable landing area, knocking into people and tables as she went. Somehow, she had acquired a cowboy hat on her way, and managed to straddle the object after a couple failed attempts.

She looked only a little unsteady at first, but as the bull began to speed up, Blair watched her friend grow paler and more floppy.

"Is she alright?" She asked the boys, who appeared equally concerned.

"Doesn't look too good."

Blair watched Serena's lips mumbling "stop" over and over, her voice drowned out by the music and the cheering from the crowd.

"She needs to get off!" Blair yelled to the operator who didn't take the slightest bit of notice.

"Hey operator!" Nate shouted. "Slow it down!"

The bull only seemed to get faster until they watched her foot slip out from underneath the animal's stomach and she fell off, landing limply on the inflatable base.

"You'd better help her sit down." Blair semi-laughed. "She's going to be a little dizzy."

But her laughing subsided quickly when they realised she wasn't moving, her blonde hair matted with sweat, her body wilted and lifeless as the cowboy hat lay a few metres away.

"Serena!"

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	19. CaliFORNICATION

**A/N- **I KNOW this has taken ages for me to post, but I couldn't get the ending quite how I wanted it. I'm still not sure, but it's better than what I'd written up until now. So, massive thank yous to **ilovewaldass06, The Joker HA, Brenda (twice! haha), YouSure, Sailor Cyanide, Gaara-LOve, Blood Red Kiss of Death, JustJUde, princetongirl Teddy Bear, Jo Jo.x, mystripedskirt, Heavenlydoll, Indiannaxxjones, Lauren1102, Edwardslover09, flipped, :D, Jenny345, uncorazonquebrado, **and **Laurienlaurie** for your reviews.

This chapter is what it is. Sorry if it's bitty, I need it for the rest of this story. You'll see why later :P

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 18: CaliFORNICATION

"Please wake up Serena." Blair mumbled, fighting back tears as her blonde best friend lay peacefully in the hospital bed. "S, please."

"She's not going to wake up yet." Nate snapped "You heard what the nurse said. They had to sedate her."

"Nate." Chuck said lowly, seemingly as a warning that he was upsetting Blair. "It's not her fault."

"The hell it isn't!" Nate exploded. Perhaps, if she'd been conscious, Serena would have woken up. "She picked the bar, picked the tequila, picked the dancing on that stupid table."

"She was spiked! They didn't pump her stomach just because she had too much fucking tequila!" Chuck returned.

"Chuck, it's okay." Blair mumbled again. "He's right, it's my fault."

"No Blair, it's not. Serena wanted to go into the bar just as much as you did."

The door opened and a semi-concerned looking nurse entered. "There have been a few complaints about the level of noise in here." She told the three of them softly. "You all look exhausted. Maybe you should go back to your hotel for some rest."

"I'm not leaving her." Nate replied bitterly. "That's how she ended up here in the first place."

"She'll be fine you know." The nurse smiled. "We see quite a lot of these cases during this time of year."

"I'm staying." Nate snapped.

"Maybe we _should _go back to the hotel Blair." Chuck offered. "She should be awake in the morning." He turned to the nurse. "Right?"

The nurse nodded. "Her throat will be a little sore, but she'll be able to talk."

"I want to stay here." Blair mumbled as Chuck tried to pull her up from her seat.

"There's nothing you can do B, you'll be better after you've had some sleep."

"I need to apologise."

"It wasn't your fault."

Nate sighed and ran his fingers over Serena's hand as Chuck finally managed to take hold of Blair's waist. She nodded and let him guide her to the door as the nurse held it open for him.

"You can come back tomorrow. Like I said, she'll be awake then."

-

"Some Spring Break Waldorf." Chuck muttered as they passed droves of drunken teens spilling out of bars clutching plastic glasses, hoods of cars being used as dance floors.

She sighed against him and he tightened his arm around her waist as their taxi continued towards the hotel. "We were having fun." She said softly. "_You_ were having fun and this has gone and ruined it."

"I wasn't having _that _much fun." Chuck retorted.

"That jet skiing wasn't fun to you?"

He shrugged. "It was okay."

"Chuck…" She trailed off, not knowing if it was the right thing to say, or even if it was right to say anything. "You can admit it you know."

"Admit what?"

"That you've been enjoying yourself."

"Please." He scoffed. "A few jet ski rides and countless hours of sunbathing. What's there to enjoy. It's all a little PG 13."

She sighed, louder this time and pulled away slightly, forcing her own sense of balance to work properly. "Why does the hotel seem so far away tonight?"

Blair stared at out of the window as she felt Chuck's eyes burn silently on her back, imagining how the night might have turned out had they not ended up in the hospital. And then she wished for Cassie, because if the Connecticut native had been there, either the situation would have been diffused, or it wouldn't have happened at all.

"Are you thinking about Cassie too?" Chuck asked, placing a hand on Blair's shoulder so that she had to face him. The brunette nodded, and Chuck gave a small smile. "I know she's my sister, but sometimes Serena does create a little _too_ much drama."

"It wasn't Serena's fault."

"I know. But it wasn't yours either."

-

The hotel room that she'd been sharing with Serena suddenly seemed unnerving big. Blair wasn't even sure why they'd booked two rooms when both had two king size beds plus a small couch. Though Chuck was only next door, it didn't seem close enough. The balcony was large and frightening and somehow, the sheer drapes that had previously seemed so luxurious and calm now appeared pointless – like they couldn't block anything out.

"Chuck?" She knocked only lightly but it took him under ten seconds to open the door to her standing there, arms folded across her chest which was hardly covered by the light blue silk negligee he loved so much. "Can I…" She trailed off and bit her lip. "I don't want to sleep in there on my own."

"Do you want me to come next door?"

She shook her head. "Could I stay in here? It's just, the doors in there, and the window, I don't-"

"You don't have to explain." Chuck ushered her inside out of the way of any other guests. "It's okay, you can stay here."

"Thanks."

"Which bed do you want?"

"Where do you sleep?"

"That one." He indicated the bed nearest the corner of the room with the sheets pulled back. "But if you want that one I can sleep in Nate's."

"I want to sleep in your bed." She mumbled quietly, not daring to look him in the eye. "But will you sleep next to me? It's a little cold in here."

He chuckled slightly in his throat. "It's hardy cold Waldorf, we're in Tijuana."

She shrugged simply. "I feel the cold."

"I know." Chuck replied softly. "I remember."

-

"Serena, are you _sure _you're okay?" Nate asked again as they roared up the freeway towards California in Serena's car, the blonde in the driving seat.

"Yes Nate, for the millionth time, I feel fine." She laughed, teasing him with her right hand as she held the steering wheel with her left.

"Two hands van der Woodsen!" Chuck yelled from the backseat beside a quiet Blair.

Serena had spent only two nights in the hospital, and though they'd only had a further two days left in Mexico, the four of them had enjoyed the remainder of their time sunbathing by the pool at the hotel. They'd played water polo, albeit not quite properly what with the girls on one team and the boys on another, but they'd played nonetheless.

Nate had apologised (of sorts) to Blair, and even though she'd accepted, being around him still made her feel a little uneasy.

They'd promised not to tell Lily, at least until they got back – after all, they didn't need to be summoned back to the Upper East Side for a much-overdue lecture on the pitfalls of drink, drugs and one of the wildest Spring Break destinations in the world when they could have been jet skiing or "taking part in other beach activities that involved frolicking", as Serena herself had put it.

"So if we drive a couple more hours and find a hotel for tonight?" Serena suggested. "Somewhere near Oceanside?"

"Sounds good to me." Nate replied. "If you're up for it?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Nate, I told you I'm fine. Is Oceanside okay with you B?"

"Great." Blair replied somewhat unenthusiastically.

"Are you sure? Because we could maybe make it to Capistrano Beach if we don't need to stop."

She shook her head. "Oceanside is fine."

-

It was dark by the time they arrived at the Travelodge after several gas and snack stops along the way. Blair wasn't sure if it was normal for one person to be able to consume two entire Easter eggs within the space of fifteen minutes, but somehow, Serena had managed it, finishing her meal off with a can of diet coke. If she hadn't have been so envious, Blair figured she might have been impressed. Nate certainly had been.

"Do you know what I could really use right now?" Serena asked as she removed her shirt in front of the guys to reveal a simple white bra before slipping a blue tank top back over her head.

"To remember that I'm family, therefore I don't wish to see you topless." Chuck offered, frowning at his own reaction. "Though that's not something I'd normally say."

"Perhaps you're gaining morals." Serena returned.

Chuck shrugged. "Who knew?"

"Anyway, what I was _going_ to say, was that I could really use a corn dog."

"Urgh, S." Blair laughed. "You have the worst taste in snacks ever."

"Aren't you still full from the Easter eggs?" Nate asked.

She shrugged. "I'm always hungry."

"Well, I guess I could go for a corn dog. Chuck?"

"I really hope you're joking Nathaniel. Do you _know _what's in them?"

"No. What?"

"I don't know. And you know what? I don't want to know. Blair and I will get frozen yoghurt while you two fill yourselves with whatever shit they put in those things."

"Aren't you exhausted Serena?" Blair asked. "We can just sleep."

The blonde waved her friend away with a smile. "Nothing a corn dog and cooler sea air won't fix."

-

They walked along the pier, the air, though still hot and sticky, relatively cooler than that in Tijuana. The breeze was more beneficial, more substantial as it blew strands of Blair's into her frozen yoghurt and she was forced to push them off her face again, huffing as she tucking silky brown behind her ears. She could see Serena and Nate at the other end of the pier at the corn dog stand, her blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders as she laughed whole-heartedly, her hands landing playfully on his chest, and then staying there as he brushed her hair from out of her eyes.

She turned around to watch Chuck at the frozen yoghurt stand, confused at the sinking feeling she felt at watching Nate and her best friend act just like they always had through high school.

"I'm so tired." The brunette yawned as she and Chuck joined the other two, using up most of her remaining energy to press a large chunk of strawberry back into the yoghurt. "I think I could fall asleep stood up right here."

"What?" Serena asked. "No! Come on B, we've only got another day altogether and then you guys have to leave."

"Okay." Blair sighed. "What do you want to do?"

The blonde thought for a moment, took a bite of her corn dog and grinned up at Nate and Blair watched uneasily. "Night swimming."

"Are you kidding?" Chuck asked. "It'll be freezing."

"I had to have my stomach pumped."

"Okay fine." He relented, narrowing his eyes at her. "But that's the last time you can play the 'I had my stomach pumped' card now. "Anyone would think you enjoyed it."

"Anyway, Blair's always up for a bit of night swimming, right Blair?" Nate asked, raising his eyebrows as he reminded her of the night Chuck showed up at Yale after the party on Bowen Field.

"What did you do B?" Serena asked as the brunette rolled her eyes.

"Three words." Nate grinned. "Lake and underwear."

-

"I knew this was a bad idea." Blair huffed as she shed her wet clothes in the bathroom shower of their hotel room, Chuck complaining loudly from the bedroom for her to hurry up because he was freezing too. "I'm going to catch pneumonia."

"Come on Waldorf, how long does it take to get your clothes off and wrap yourself in a _fucking _towel?" Chuck shouted, his words trailing off into a groan as the door opened and a rather rumpled-looking Blair stepped out in merely a small towel with the sexiest tousled hair he'd ever seen.

She smirked as she saw his pants tighten and raised her eyebrows. "You can't be _that _cold."

"Maybe you're just _that _hot."

She turned her back to him, walked over to the window to shut the small gap in the drapes when she caught sight of Nate and Serena in the sea in the distance. Even in the dark she could make out the blonde hair, wet and long against her back as her and Nate moved closer together and her no doubt perfect lips touched his.

"What are you looking at?" Chuck asked, still sitting on the edge of the bed.

Blair pulled the drapes to and forced the lump that had risen in her throat back down again. "Nothing."

She felt his eyes on her as she bent down to fish some clean clothes out of her overnight bag, realising that if she thought she'd left high school behind when she moved to New Haven, she was very wrong.

Making her way over to Chuck slowly, she took satisfaction in the fact that he watched her every move, knowing where it was leading, but watching it still.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice hoarse and loud for the moment, her slim fingers trailing along the hemline of his wet shirt.

"There's this thing." She replied slowly, letting the corner of her towel fall from its fold to reveal tanned flesh; the kind of tan that wouldn't have looked out of place in an Abercrombie ad. "It's called sex." Her fingers hooked at the seams of the shirt, her arms suddenly finding the strength to pull it over his head. "Some people do it when they're horny." She raised an eyebrow after glancing down at his pants. "And I _know _you're horny."

"Blair, I-"

"This is between us." She cut in, working his belt as he peeled back the rest of her towel with his thumb. "So shut up, and have sex with me."

And then his lips were on hers, all confirmation he needed in the way her hands forced his clothes off faster than he could remove them himself.

-

"Nate, be quiet." Serena hissed, giggling as they shut the door behind them, the light from the street lamps outside still filtering in through the gap between the frame. "Look, they're asleep."

Blair forced herself to lie still, hating that she wanted to push her body closer against Chuck's as she kept her eyes closed.

Nate looked at Chuck's arm around Blair and her head near the crook of his neck. "They look like they've had sex."

"What?" Serena scoffed, trying to stifle her own laughing. "How can you tell?"

The brunette was glad of the almost pitch-black. It didn't show the burning of her cheeks.

"His arm's around her and she doesn't look like she wants to chop it off."

"Nate, I'm pretty sure they didn't have sex because…eww, that's my step-brother and…eww, mental image I did _not _want creeping into by head. And-" her hand darted to point at the couple's forms. "She's wearing pyjamas."

Blair thanked God she'd had the capacity to remember to slip her nightie on when Chuck had gone to the bathroom, even if it had resulted in a lewd comment upon his return.

"Right." Nate replied as he opened the bathroom door for Serena before following her inside for a towel. "Good."

"Why? Do you care whether they sleep together?"

"No."

Blair cringed. He was lying.

And then she heard Serena's muffled giggle at something again before Nate laughed and she wondered whether he really did think they'd had sex, and why he cared whether they had or not. She wanted to pull away from Chuck at that point.

His arm only seemed to pull her closer.

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	20. Possessions

**A/N - **First things first, to **Teddy Bear, The Joker HA, Blood Red Kiss of Death, 89, YouSure, al2010, missDK, Lauren1102, 23, Gaara-LOve, Brenda, mary1415, dancing-supastar, jumper, Agent Twinkle Toes, princetongirl, JustJude, hannahbby[:, Edwardslover09, NB, Kensley-Jackson, mystripedskirt, JoJo.x, Winnie, :D, Zoe, Laurienlaurie, Jenny345, Heavenlydoll, sheri.808, **and **flipped, **I HEART YOU ALL for your reviews you lovely people :)

Secondly, apologies for my crappy updating. Seriously, I'm on a break from uni and I've worked harder than I ever do when I'm there. I've had two days off out of two weeks, and in that time I've managed to put together half a presentation I have to do when I get back :( Not fun. Still, I've finally gotten this chapter completed, and you might be pleased to know that I'm halfway through writing number 20, which leads me onto my next point...

Chapter 20 (i.e, the one after this) features none other than Dan Humphrey. I had to give him a part in this because it was too much to resist. Four words people: Lacrosse team in Providence... :P

Enjoy xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 19: Possessions 

The plane ride back had been almost unbearable for Blair. She'd wanted to ask Nate what had happened between him and Serena down at the beach, had wanted to tell him that she'd slept with his best friend, if only for revenge (again) and she'd wanted to tell Chuck that she was sorry, because as much as she had wanted what they'd had that night, the context had been all wrong. And she felt stupid now, because he'd always said he knew her better than anyone else. He should have known to say no.

They'd been back nearly two weeks, and for that time all had been quiet on the Chuck/Nate front other than a few lewd comments from the Bass about library sex and the like, but that was nothing she didn't experience on a regular occurrence anyway.

"Oh my God Blair, skiing is totally the new Spring Break recreational sport." Cassie exclaimed, fresh from spending the remainder of their break at her parents' as she dumped the biggest case Blair had ever seen inside of the doorway.

"Er, what?"

"Isn't that what you guys would say on the Upper East Side?" The blonde questioned.

"No."

"Oh."

"We're not a different breed Cassie." Blair laughed as her friend raised an eyebrow. "Okay fine whatever, but we don't speak like that. That's a Laguna Beach-ism. And recreational sport? Who _says_ that?"

"Miaow." She screeched, her hands making claw-type shapes. "van der Woodsen piss you off?"

"No, not at all, and for the record, she's not Laguna Beach."

"Probably dates guys from there though."

"Doubt it." Blair muttered into her green tea and lemon.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"There was some serious hooking-up taking place in TJ huh?" Cassie squealed wide-eyed as she sat down beside Blair. "Come on, I want details. You and Nate do it?"

"No Nate and did not 'do it'" The brunette replied with air quotes. "We didn't do anything."

"Sexual tension's a bitch." The blonde nodded.

"What? Cassie no, will you let me tell you without interrupting to ask high school-style questions?"

"Sorry."

Blair glared at her friend again who pulled her finger across her lips after apologising (again) in a whisper. "I did something I shouldn't have, or… did some_one _I shouldn't have."

"Oh my God did you have sex with a lifeguard?!" Cassie burst out, much to Blair's horror. "Look I'm sorry, this is exciting news and you're not getting to the point fast enough. I need to clear up any questions I may have."

Right on cue, Chuck strode into their dorm holding a bunch of flowers. They were chrysanthemums. She knew what that meant.

"For you Waldorf." He held out the bunch and so took them somewhat cautiously as Cassie eyed the pair of them.

"Flowers?"

"I wanted to ask you something. In private."

Blair looked at Cassie and then looked back at Chuck with a raised eyebrow. "Whatever you want to ask me, you can ask me right now."

He grinned and shrugged. "Okay. Well I was just thinking how much I enjoyed our fornication in that delightful little Oceanside Travelodge and I thought you might want to do it again seeing as I _know _you enjoyed it too."

She felt herself going red but tried to keep face. "And what made you think that?"

"I'm not sure…" He trailed off, appearing to look thoughtful. "It might have been the way you moaned my name or the way you dug your nails into my back, or-"

"Eww gross. I do _not _want to hear this." Cassie shuddered, covering her ears with her palms. "Chuck can you relive your sexcapades with Blair elsewhere?"

"I asked Waldorf for a word in private. She was the one who said anything I wanted to say could be said in front of you."

"Yeah, well I wasn't consulted so I'm just going to leave now." She raised her eyebrows at Blair before leaving. "Bye."

"Dinner." Chuck said with the smallest of smiles. "Tonight, at Union League."

"Don't you need a reservation to eat there?"

"Got one."

"And am I just some random that you're taking to fill up the other place or did you just assume that I'd say yes?"

"You'd never be _just some random_" Chuck replied, brushing her jaw line with his lips, just near enough to her ear so that it provoked the slightest of gasps. "And for the record." He added, opening the door to let himself out. "I _knew _you'd say yes."

-

"Hey Cassie!" Nate smiled as the blonde shut his door behind her and he walked over to offer her a hug. "How was Aspen?"

"Actually it was amazing." She replied. "Asher's family, _huge_, but so nice."

"You remember all their names?" He laughed.

"Are you kidding? I didn't stand a chance. I don't think I actually addressed anybody by their name. Well, except Ash."

"So it's getting pretty serious with you two then?"

"I don't know." Cassie shrugged. "I mean, we have a great time together but it's not like we've done the whole 'I love you' thing. Not like Chuck and Blair apparently."

"What?"

"Er, what?" Cassie repeated, panicking.

"Chuck and Blair love each other?"

"No. I don't know. He just brought her flowers."

"When?"

"Just now. That's why I'm here."

"He brought her flowers?" Nate frowned, sitting down. "Oh."

"Maybe he just saw them and thought of Blair." She reasoned, knowing full well what the chrysanthemums he'd handed to her symbolised: her loved her too.

"Maybe." He muttered in response. Nate knew Chuck. He didn't just buy people flowers because he saw them and thought of that person. There was always a reason behind everything.

"So anyway." Cassie continued. "How was Tijuana?"

"Pretty epic."

"Wow, that good huh?"

"Try two days spent at the hospital." Nate replied. "Not so good."

"Woah, what happened?"

"Serena got spiked and fell and hit her head. They had to pump her stomach."

"That sucks."

"I know. And I kind of blamed it on Blair."

"What? Why?"

"I didn't mean to." He reasoned. "I just…I took it out on her and I shouldn't have, and then we kind of stopped talking for a few days, and Chuck took her side obviously."

Cassie shook her head. "Not obviously Nate."

"I did apologise, I just…I feel bad, I really do. But Serena's kinda lonely out there in California and I just wanted to make her feel sort of protected, you know? And then she got spiked because we weren't watching her and-"

"She's an adult now Nate." Cassie cut in. "You can't expect to watch her all the time. It's not your fault and it certainly isn't Blair's fault."

"I know. And there was something I should have told Blair that happened between Serena and me, but I guess I just didn't know how to, and now we've been back for like, two weeks and if I tell her now she's going to think I'm making it a big deal and it's totally not a big deal but-"

"Nate you're gabbling." Cassie cut in gently, placing a hand on his arm as he sighed out loud.

"Sorry. Serena kissed me. It was when we were on the beach in Oceanside, just me and her and wanted to tell Blair, I really did, but…the last time Serena and I kissed it was when I was dating Blair and when she found out she slept with Chuck. I just…I didn't want that to happen again, and now Chuck's buying her flowers and probably trying to sleep with her again."

"Would that be so bad?" Cassie asked. "If they did sleep together I mean."

"I think. No, I don't know."

"What?"

"I think I like Blair. Like, _really _like her."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Nate sighed again. "And I guess I'm too late."

-

"Oooh hello." Cassie laughed, raising an eyebrow as Blair stepped out from their bedroom in a tight dark red dress and dark brown peep-toe slingbacks. "Sexy much?"

"Too much?" Blair asked, twirling slowly to give Cassie an all-round view, a smirk playing on her lips as her curls fell around her shoulders.

"For Chuck Bass? I'd say perfect."

The girls shared a smile as there was a knock on the door: Nate.

"Hey Cass, I was just- wow." He shut the door and glanced up and down at Blair who was tweaking the chrysanthemums from earlier in their vase. "You look nice."

"Thanks." She smiled again, somewhat awkwardly as she left the flowers alone.

"Where's he taking you?"

"Union League."

"I've heard it's nice there."

"Well people have been saying you need a reservation so I guess it's pretty popular."

Nate nodded. "I was just coming to see whether you knew if Asher's playing in the game against Brown?

Cassie nodded. "I think he said he was. He's in tonight though if you wanted to ask him. I'm heading over there in a bit if you want to come?"

"Sounds good. I've just got some laundry to do and then I'll be back up here in an hour if that fits in with you?"

"Sure."

"Okay, so I'll go then." He forced a smile at the girls who smiled back. "Have a nice time Blair."

"Thanks." She replied softly, letting out a breath that she didn't know she was holding as he closed the door behind him and she turned to Cassie. "How does he-"

"I might have accidentally told him about the flowers Chuck bought you earlier." Cassie replied. "But come on Blair, couldn't you have told him earlier?"

"Well it's not like I've known about tonight for a long time, _you_ were here when Chuck asked me to dinner. It was only a couple hours ago!"

"No, I wasn't here when Chuck asked you to dinner. I was here when he recounted your Tijuana sex life that Nate clearly doesn't know about."

"It wasn't Tijuana, it was Oceanside."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. It would've been better coming from you."

"Well what was I supposed to say? Hey Nate, I slept with Chuck again because I saw you and Serena getting it on on the beach. Oh, and by the way, now we're going out on a date."

"You slept with Chuck for revenge?" Cassie asked, surprised.

"No." Blair shook her head. "Because I wanted to. But if I hadn't seen Nate and Serena…I don't know…we probably wouldn't have."

"So you know about Nate and Serena?"

"Yes I know. How do you?"

"Nate told me. He said that Serena kissed him when they were at the beach."

"While Chuck and I were…"

"Having sex."

"I was going to say showering."

Their laughing was interrupted by Blair's cell beeping. "It's Chuck." She said, reading the message. "He says to meet him out front."

"Why would he say that?"

Blair shrugged. "I don't know."

"Look at you!" Cassie exclaimed playfully. "You're excited."

"Am not."

"Yes you are, you're doing that smiling thing that gives you dimples."

"That's just my smile."

"I know. It's your proper smile. Which means you actually want to go on this date."

"Okay personal shrink, have you finished analysing me so I can go?"

"Go!" Cassie laughed. "And have a good time."

"You got a limo?" Blair asked as she reached the gates at the front of the campus to meet Chuck, who was wearing probably the most Upper East Side-esque suit she'd ever seen. Still, the red pinstripes and bow tie matched her dress perfectly and as he handed her a single red chrysanthemum with a tiny bow around its stem to match the bunch from earlier, a smile crept across her lips as any thoughts of Nate drifted from her mind. And she couldn't help but think that this was how senior year should have been.

"For old time's sake." He replied, opening the door for her to climb in.

-

"Blair!" Nate called down the hallway of the communications block. "Blair!"

"Hey." She smiled after turning around to meet the boy half-jogging towards her.

"Hey, how are you?"

"You mean how did my date with Chuck go?"

"That obvious?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Just a little."

"So are you busy right now or…"

"I have an hour before class." She shrugged. "I was going to the library but if you asked me whether I'd like to go for a cup of green tea instead I might be persuaded."

Nate smiled. "In that case Miss Waldorf, would you like to go for a cup of green tea?"

She pretended to think for a minute and then laughed. "Since you asked, I'd like that."

They made small talk for a few minutes, chatted about Cassie and Asher and Nate's laundry malfunction from a few days previous which had resulted in one of his favourite shirts turning a dirty grey colour, and discussed the pitfalls of Tijuana for another future Spring Break destination.

"So I have to tell you something." Nate began, setting down his coffee on their table. "And I know I should have told you before now, but I couldn't find the right moment."

"Okay."

"Serena kissed me when we were in Oceanside. I know by saying that she kissed me it makes it sounds like it was all her. I'm not, but just so you know. And I didn't immediately pull away."

"Okay."

"And then I did. But I just wanted to tell you even though nothing's going to happen. I just thought you should know."

"I appreciate you telling me." Blair replied, trying to act in a way that didn't make it known this was information she already knew. "But why can't anything happen between you two?"

"Well there's the opposite sides of the country thing." Nate replied with a small smile. "And then there's you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. But you're with Chuck now so it's fine."

"Fine?" She questioned. Suddenly everything didn't seem so.

"I'm cool with it. Chuck's happy, you're happy…you _are _happy right?"

She smiled, properly again, and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for telling me. And I a_m _happy."

Her lips against his skin weren't what he'd expected. And they were something he wasn't sure he could handle. "Uh, I've just remembered that I've left my coffee machine on. I'll have to go check on it."

"I'll come with you." Blair offered.

"No, you haven't finished your tea. Stay, you've got class in half an hour anyway."

"Okay. Are you sure you don't remember turning it off? It's not like you to leave it on past 12."

He shrugged. "I think all this studying's making me forgetful."

She laughed and he grabbed his books from their pile on the floor. "I'll see you later."

"See you later."

"Oh and Blair?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're happy. If it is with Chuck. It's good."

-

"How was class?" Cassie asked as Blair returned, Chuck and Nate already devouring pastries in the girls' kitchen area.

"Hard." Blair replied. "And I'm tired."

"Well I got you a pastry treat." The blonde smiled, waving a brown paper bag at the brunette. "And it's your favourite."

"Maple pecan." Blair smiled, taking the bag from Cassie's outstretched hand. "Great, I-" She stopped mid-sentence, clasping her hand to her mouth before running to the bathroom.

"Blair?" Her friend asked with a concerned expression as they heard her emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

"I'll see if she's okay." Nate said, walking towards the bathroom before Chuck stopped him.

"No. I'll go."

His tone meant that Nate left him to it, glancing at Cassie as they heard Chuck turn the tap and rinse a flannel under the water.

"I'm fine Chuck." They heard her say somewhat weakly. "I think it was just the smell of the pastry. And I was hungry. Maybe I should have something savoury instead."

And with that, the bathroom door opened and the two of them came back out again and as he watched Blair rest again Chuck, he knew what they were: she was his.

* * *


	21. Brown and Out

**A/N - **To **JustJude, sailor syanide, 89, Miss Anthrope, 23, Sheri.808, Gaara-LOve, Butterflies In My Stomach, Edwardslover09, Miss DK, :), BimboBoop, JoJo.x, odyjah, Brenda, bridgeteebeethequeen, teddy bear, al2010, Heavenlydoll, kristen, jumper, dancing-supastar, Bllod Red Kiss of Death, NB, The Joker HA, Amber, :D, flipped, desi, nostalgiakills, vionnewinnie, 3venst4r, Laurienlaurie, poochbello, amberislalalove, Mary1415, Lauren1102,** and **mystripedskirt**...phew, you guys are awesome for reviewing :) That's the most I've ever gotten for a chapter of this story so you seriously rock.

I hope you'll enjoy this, and please read the a/n at the bottom :) Much love xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 20: Brown and Out

"Providence?" Chuck questioned as he watched Blair slip the thin strap of her camisole back up over her shoulder, tantalizingly slowly.

"Yes Providence." She repeated, turning her face into a scowl to glare at him. "In Rhode Island you perv."

"I wasn't perving."

"Yes you were."

"It's not exactly perving when I've seen _much _more of you than the top of one of your breasts."

"You saw my naked body?" She gasped, horrified.

"Several times princess." He smirked back, resting his head on his clasped hands. "_Several _times."

"I meant just then idiot."

"Just then? Sadly, no." Chuck replied. "I was trying to, but the lace on your bra was preventing me from getting a decent view. And for the record, black is _definitely _your colour."

"Can you just be serious for one second while I tell you about my plans for the next few days?" Blair puffed as she smacked Chuck off of her comforter in order to smooth out the creases.

"But why would you even _want _to go to Providence?" Chuck asked. "You hate Rhode Island."

"No I don't."

"You do, you told me that one time when you forced me to watch Miss Congeniality and the girl from Rhode Island won."

"Well…" Blair paused. "That was different because it was totally obvious Sandra Bullock should've won. She was way hotter _and _she had a gun."

"We've gone off subject."

"Your fault."

"Was not."

"You are such a Basstard."

"It's all in the name baby."

"Don't call me baby."

"Fine." Chuck rolled his eyes. "You were telling me why it's so vital for you to go to Providence while I'm stuck here giving a presentation about the economic growth of Mumbai to Professor Neverbeenfucked."

"It's Professor Northluck, and-"

"Whatever, he still probably hasn't been fu-"

"Chuck!" She cut him off before he could finish. "Anyway, Cassie and I had this trip planned since like the second week of first term. Well, since she met Asher and found out he was on the lacrosse team with Nate. Thought it might be a good plan to check in with Brooklyn while we're there."

"We're at college now and Serena's in a different state. We don't have to pretend we don't mind associating with him."

"I want to know what he's up to. Serena said he hadn't called her in ages."

"Maybe he's got a girlfriend."

Blair shot him a look that suggested otherwise.

"I'm just saying he might have gotten himself one of those librarian chicks." He raised his eyebrows. "I've heard they can be quite the animals under the sheets, or, should we say, behind the bookshelves."

"Eww this is so gross, I do _not _want to talk about Dan Humphrey's potential sex life."

"Could you imagine him in a porn film? 'Brooklyn's Bookshelves' has a remarkable quality..."

"Oh my God, why did you just say that?"

"It just entered my head."

Blair curled her nose up at the boy in front of her. "Don't even try to kiss me until I get that image out of my head."

"Oh come on Waldorf." He pressed his lips against her ear so that she shivered against him. "You know that that would be too much-" He slid his hand down the side of her body so that he could slip it under the top of her skirt to curl his fingers around the top of her lingerie. "-of a punishment."

"Hey Blair, do you think I could…oh." Nate stuttered, quickly spinning his body round so that he wasn't faced with the image of his best friend's hand underneath his ex-girlfriend's skirt. "Sorry, I didn't realise you were…uh."

"I forgot you were in there." Blair almost whispered in a choked voice, her cheeks scarlet.

"Uh yeah, just wanted to know what time you guys were setting of for Brown, but I'll just…come back later." He closed the door again behind him. "Yeah."

-

"So Nate was pretty freaked out earlier." Cassie laughed as Blair turned down the volume on the radio and the blonde turned it back up again. "Something about interrupting you and Chuck in an act of sexual depravity."

"Nothing Chuck and I do is morally corrupt in any way."

Cassie shot her a knowing glance and the brunette rolled her eyes.

"Okay fine, but it wasn't exactly a sex show."

"So what happened?"

"Chuck's hands were just…I'm not talking about this."

"Yeah, I don't think I want to hear it." She laughed, turning the volume control up again. "So who exactly is Dan Humphrey and why are we checking up on him later?"

"He's poor and from Brooklyn, but he used to date Serena because…well I don't really know why but I suppose they were good together when he wasn't getting it on with Georgina Sparks or having jealousy issues with Vanessa-"

"Who's Georgina Sparks?" Cassie asked. "And who's Vanessa?"

"Oh it doesn't matter, they're not important." Blair waved it away. "Anyway, he used to go to our school because his dad Rufus is like this equal opportunities kind of-"

"Wait." Cassie interrupted, finally turning the volume down far enough so that Blair didn't have to strain her ears to hear her. "Rufus Humphrey as in Rufus Humphrey: former rock star and complete sex machine?"

"I can't believe you just called a 40-year-old man a sex machine."

"But is he?"

"I don't know!"

"No, I mean is Dan's dad Rufus Humphrey?"

"Yes. Although why that excites you is unapparent."

"This trip is so gonna kick ass!"

-

When the girls arrived they took time to tour the campus without having Nate and Asher moaning that they needed to be either practising or taking part in some sort of team bonding session after hearing from the two of them that it would be a good hour or so before they arrived.

Blair removed Nate's Yale sweatshirt as they passed the main strip of shade and were hit with sun similar to that in California.

"Is Providence having a heatwave because I'm freaking boiling!" Cassie groaned, trailing Asher's sweater from her fingertips just as someone rather familiar called Blair's name.

The brunette turned around to see Dan Humphrey walking along a path to the left of the two of them holding hands with some red-haired girl that Blair immediately didn't like, for the most part because she resembled Georgina in her facial features.

"Humphrey." Blair greeted, a small fake smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "I'd hug you if it wasn't weird."

"And if I liked you, I'd hug you back." He laughed a little and ran his free hand over his arm. "Nate told me you were coming for the game, I didn't think you'd be here yet though."

"We're very punctual." She replied, clearing her throat and nodding at Dan to introduce them all.

"Oh yeah, Blair, this is Naomi, Naomi: Blair – Serena's best friend."

"Hi." The brunette offered an evidently fake smile and pointed to Cassie. "Cassie: my room mate."

"Nice to meet you." Dan replied, moving his free hand to shake Cassie's

"So what the hell is this?" Blair questioned, indicating Dan's hand linked with Naomi's.

"Me holding Naomi's hand?"

"No, I mean, _what is this_?" Her eyes were wider and she could see Cassie out of the corner of one of them trying not to laugh.

"A relationship I guess."

"And how did this-" She motioned to their hands again "-happen?"

"Well I kind of think it was when we kissed. Well actually, when Naomi kissed me."

Blair frowned.

"Whatever, it happened when lips touched. When _our_ lips touched."

"Well that's just…" She pursed her lips and muttered. "Gross."

"So will you guys be watching the game?" Cassie asked to try and avoid Blair's obvious put-down.

"Uh no actually, Naomi's rushing so there's this thing tonight and I've kinda got a lot of studying to do for a test tomorrow."

"You're dating a sorority girl?" Blair questioned. "That's very Constance/St Judes of you Humphrey."

"Well I figured if I wanted to be in a frat then dating a girl who's rushing would be a profile boost, you know."

Blair rolled her eyes as Cassie just stared at him. "He's kidding Cass."

"Oh."

"So are you seeing Nate later?"

"Uh, I don't think so." Dan replied. "I was just walking Naomi to class and then I-"

"You should catch up with your friends." The red head replied. "I'll just see you after."

"And I could hang out with Asher if you guys just want to spend some time together." Cassie added.

As if on cue, Blair's call rang and the three listened as she instructed Nate to the coffee place they'd seen near the reception before hanging up.

"So you and Nate huh?" Dan asked with the slightest raise of eyebrows that Blair found strangely interrogating.

"Actually Nate and I aren't together." She replied primly.

"Try her and Chuck." Cassie interjected much to her friends chagrin.

"Oh no, you guys actually started up again?" Dan laughed. "God help Yale."

"Actually Chuck has been quite the gentleman."

"Now that's somewhat hard to believe."

"Look cabbage patch, I came here to find out what the deal was with you, not to be interviewed about my personal relationship status."

"And here was me thinking you were here to support the lacrosse team."

"Incorrect as always."

"Okay you two, break it up." Cassie laughed. "Are we going to the coffee place or not?"

Dan looked at Naomi and Blair rolled her eyes.

"You go babe." She nodded and kissed him while the brunette fought the bile that was rising in her stomach. "I'll see you later."

-

It was during the middle of the game, right when both teams were drawing and Yale was on the attack that Blair had to run off to throw up, a worried Cassie following her to offer a drink of water after she'd washed her face. Upon their return, they'd found Brown to have captured the ball and brought attack after attack on Yale, so much so that the visitors ended up losing, much to Nate and Asher's disappointment.

"You're not pregnant are you?" Cassie joked in a whisper as Blair declined her offer of an ice cream to 'take away the pain of losing' as she put it.

"Of course not, Chuck and I haven't even slept together."

It was true – they hadn't. The night of their first official date, Blair had expected to wind up in his bed, most probably over heated with his slumbering form either on top or next to her. Instead, he had explained that he would do things properly this time – that he wanted to date her and take her to dinner, to let her know that he was serious. It wouldn't have been a problem to Blair had they not already slept together in California when they weren't actually officially dating or had she not wanted simply a physical relationship, perhaps with a little security thrown in there too.

So as the words left her mouth, the realisation that she hadn't had a period in at least a eight weeks or so, and the fact that they hadn't used protection while in California hit her.

"What about California?" Cassie asked, wise to the brunette's sex life.

"I'm not stupid Cassie." It was true, and yet in some part, it was a lie. "I'm not pregnant."

"Okay okay, just checking." She held up her hands in defence. "Which is good because it would seriously suck if you were. Could you imagine Chuck as a father? The child wouldn't stand a chance."

The blonde's comment kind of pissed her off, though Blair wasn't quite sure why. It was unintentional and not meaningful in any way, yet she had to fight the urge to defend her boyfriend – as he now seemingly was – and his potential parenting skills.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Asher and Nate anyway, and Cassie pouted at her boyfriend before offering him a lick of her strawberry ice cream.

"I'm sorry babe, you guys were doing so well."

He shrugged. "It sucks. I seriously thought we were going to win this one."

"Get drunk tonight and pretend it didn't happen?" Nate offered with a slight chuckle.

"Sounds like a plan Archibald."

"You guys in?" Nate asked. "We could just hit Alchemy when we get back."

"I don't know." Blair replied. "I don't feel that good."

"Are you okay? I saw you looking quite sick earlier."

"I think a tuna salad followed by a showcase of Humphrey's newest relationship was too much for my stomach to handle."

"And it _is_ kinda hot here." Cassie added. "It must be like 80 degrees."

"What about you Cass?" Asher asked. "Are you coming?"

"If Blair does."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "That means I have to come so that you can go."

"My plan exactly." She smiled with a wink. "Nothing like a good spot of guilt-tripping."

-

They were waiting for her at Nate's, oblivious to the longest five minutes of her life as she leant against the wall, her eyes shut tight until the timer on her phone beeped, her Max Azaria dress prefect against her body as her trembling hands reached to the edge of the sink.

She didn't have to look to know what the result was.

"Blair, are you nearly ready?" Nate called through the door as she rammed the stick into her purse, no time for tissue paper as the flash of blue pierced her eyes – she'd just buy another purse.

"Coming." She called, washing her hands before smoothing her dress and checking her reflection in the mirror. The only thing she could think of right then was Grey Goose. Not champagne or wine as usual – that was for celebrating, and nothing in that moment was worth celebrating.

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**A/N - **Okay, I don't like doing this at the end of a chapter, but I think I need to tell some of you not to panic that this story is going to go all dramatic/fluffy whatever. I need you to trust me because it's not going to be what you expect. Just go with me :)


	22. Sick Again

**A/N- **I really appreciate you trusting me on this because believe me, I hate it when stories manage to go from really interesting and different to really predictable. I don't want to do that, and I have it all planned out for once so yeah...keep with me haha. To **moccamary, mystripedskirt, Heavenlydoll, .****23, laurien laurie, flipped, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Sheri.808, Brenda, 3venst4r, GGLover-1, Gaara-LOve, Ibusgg, MissDK, jumper, That Crazy Chick, YouSure, 24Hourscout, MizzGG, sailor cyanide, JoJo.x, Edwardslover09, Amber530, :D, winnie-chair, dysenchanted2, **and **al2010** THANK YOU for your lovely reviews (and acknowledgements of support) As always, you guys rock!

I don't want to bang on too much so here's number 21. Oh, and number 22 features big bad Bart. Oh shiz :P ENJOY! xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 21: Sick Again

"I'll come with you." Chuck offered as Blair rammed another jacket into her already over-full suitcase, huffing as she chipped a nail on the zipper. "I haven't seen my dad or Lily in a while."

"No, you've got work to do here."

"I could do it on the plane, or at least while you're spending time with Eleanor."

"Chuck, you've barely started and your assignment is due in four days." Blair replied, sighing repeatedly as her suitcase failed to shut.

"But you've been summoned to the Upper East Side. That's got to mean something big."

She rolled her eyes. "Cyrus probably has a long-lost relative that he's desperate for me to meet, or maybe Dorota even got engaged – no, she'd have told me that herself." Blair changed her mind. "Maybe my dad split up with Roman and he and my mom are going to get back together."

"Your father's gay Blair."

"Well he wasn't before!"

"But he is now."

"He changed his mind a few years ago, now maybe he's changing it back."

"Then if that's the case, you really think Eleanor would have sent for you?"

"True." Blair concluded with a nod. "Why couldn't she have just come down here like a normal parent?"

"Because that would involve effort. You know how our families despise such a quality."

"Yeah." She agreed. "Seems like it's a trait in one of us too." She shot him a glare before averting her eyes to the books laying haphazardly on her bed. What chance of them ever raising a baby well was there when Chuck couldn't even complete a 2,000 word essay? "You need to get that finished."

"Since when do you care whether I do my assignments or not?"

"Since I had to work my ass off to get here and your father managed to buy your way in."

"You were never bothered that Bart could make something happen with a cheque before. In fact, I seem to remember you admiring such a thing."

"People change." Blair bit back as Chuck groaned.

"So you keep saying."

She sighed and pushed a strand of her behind her shoulder. "Look, maybe when I get back and you've finished that-" She glanced at the books again "-maybe there'll be something in it for you."

"I hope this something involves less clothing than you're wearing now."

"Oh, _much_ less." She replied in a semi-whisper, just loud enough for him to hear as she breathed against his ear, kissing his lobe while her fingers twirled the longer strands of his hair.

He grinned and grabbed her hands. "Then Waldorf, I have work to do."

-

She could tell by the way that Dorota didn't rush to give her a hug that there was something wrong.

"What?" She asked. "What is it? What's happened?"

"Your mother wait for you Miss Blair." Dorota replied with the smallest of smiles. "She in kitchen with chef. She have him bake for your arrival."

"What is it?" Blair asked frantically as Eleanor stood cradling a china cup of tea. "Is it daddy? Is he okay?"

"Your father's fine Blair." Eleanor replied somewhat solemnly.

"So why did you call for me?"

"We just wanted to see you."

"We?"

"Yes, _we_. Cyrus and I."

She frowned and stared at her mother. "You mean I've flown from New Haven over here because you just wanted to see me? Why couldn't you have just come to Yale like everyone else's parents do when they want to see their children?"

"Now Blair, we've only been in the same room for two minutes and you're already being dramatic."

"I have stuff to do!"

"What could be more important than spending time with your family?" Eleanor asked.

"Uh I don't know, studying? Having fun?"

"Why don't you sit down." Her mother offered, pushing a plate of pastries towards the brunette. "I had William bake these for you."

"Who's William?"

"Our new chef. Cyrus insisted I don't spend my spare time cooking instead of being with him. He's a very loving man you know Blair."

She screwed up her nose. "Ew."

"Now aren't you going to have one?" She pushed the plate even further towards Blair. "I made tea."

Her stomach was churning, much like the last time Cassie had offered her a maple pecan plait back in their room. "I'm not really hungry."

"Did you eat on the plane?"

"No, but-"

"Then nonsense. I insist you have one. They're your favourites."

"Mom, I-" Her stomach heaved and she hurried to the bathroom clutching her hand over her mouth until she was safely over the toilet bowl. Aside from the random bouts of sickness, Blair found she was good at the whole being-pregnant-in-secret thing, even if she hadn't yet made a doctor's appointment or read any leaflets.

"Miss Blair?" Dorota called, her hands knocking on the door the brunette was pressed against. "Miss Blair, you okay?"

"I'm fine Dorota." She lied, hauling herself up to splash some cold water across her face before opening the door.

"Is it like last time?"

"Is what like last time?" Blair sighed, smoothing down her dress over her slim lines.

"You not eat? Or maybe, you eat too much, then you make self sick in bathroom?"

"Blair Cornelia Waldorf!" She heard Eleanor bellow. "You come down here right now."

Dorota looked at her and Blair felt her cheeks burn, not from embarrassment, but from anger at whatever this was. "I'm not sick." She muttered, slamming the door closed behind her as she made her way back downstairs.

"Now Blair, we can do this the easy way or we can do it the hard way." Her mother told her. "And from that ridiculously stubborn look on your face it looks like we're going to do it the hard way, which only means more time away from your friends."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're worried about you."

"We?"

"Cyrus and I, your father, Roman, Nate and Serena apparently."

"What do Nate and Serena have to do with any of this?"

"They called." Eleanor explained. "Well actually Serena did. Seems like Nate called her in California to tell her you'd been sick." She narrowed her eyes at her daughter and then glared at the untouched plate of pastries. "Numerous times. He said he thought you might be slipping…into your old ways."

"My old ways?"

"Bulle-"

"I know what you meant!" She shouted. "Just because I didn't want some freaking pastry does not mean that I have bulimia!"

"It's not something that just goes away completely Blair, I know that. But you _can _try to stop it from coming back."

"It hasn't come back!" She fumed. "How many times do I need to tell you I'm not sick?"

Eleanor looked past her daughter as though she wasn't there as Cyrus entered the room. "I told you she wouldn't admit it. I knew you were being over-optimistic. Do you think I should call Dr Zuckerman?"

"I don't need to see a shrink!"

"She gets like this sometimes." Blair's mother told her husband. "Apparently it's common behaviour for patients."

"Why can't you eat the pastries Blair?" Cyrus asked calmly. "Do they-"

"Because I'm pregnant!" She answered, her face reddening even more with the heat as her hands clammed over. "Because apparently the baby doesn't like carbohydrate-ridden oven-baked goods."

They stood in silence for a few seconds, all staring at her until Eleanor shook her head. "I'm calling Dr Zuckerman. This has gone too far."

-

"So I was thinking." Nate began, swirling his beer around in its bottle as Cassie did the same opposite him, some basketball game playing in the background that he'd claimed to her was important. So far, they hadn't watched any of it: the conversation had mainly been about school and Asher and the lacrosse game at Brown.

"About?"

"About Blair."

"Oh."

"That maybe I should tell her how I feel."

Cassie took a long gulp of the liquid and thought for a moment. "I don't think that's a very good idea Nate."

"Why not?"

"Because she's with Chuck."

"But-"

"And even you said that they had that constant thing throughout high school. She's happy."

"But what if she isn't?"

"Isn't what?"

"Happy."

"Nate, you can't tell her that you like her. What's she going to do? Break up with Chuck and tell you that she feels the same way?"

"Uh, yeah, that would be good."

The blonde shook her head. "Not gonna happen."

"Why not?"

"She loves him."

"Yeah, and he loved her right through high school. They never worked then."

"If you tell Blair you like her then it makes you a massive asshole." She replied bluntly. "And not just in my eyes. You'll be that in Chuck's eyes and probably Blair's too."

"But it's not just that I like her, it's like, I _like _her, you know?"

"Do you love her Nate?"

"I think…I'm not sure. Maybe. I might."

"Well 'you might' isn't really good enough so I suggest you keep your feelings to yourself, at least until you no longer feel the same way, _or _for some reason Chuck and Blair break up."

He rubbed a hand through the back of his hair and just stared at his beer bottle. "I guess I _am _an asshole huh?"

She put a hand on his arm gently. "Kinda. But a cute one."

He smiled. "Thanks. I guess."

"You know, if Asher and I weren't together I'd be kinda jealous of Blair. Two guys competing to go out with her…"

"I'm not competing with Chuck for anything."

"Okay."

They turned back to the television screen for the first time that evening, and apart from the commentator and the noise of the crowd, the room was silent. "Hey Cass?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you not tell anyone about this? It might just be the beer talking."

She laughed a little. "I won't tell."

"But I do like her."

"I know."

"But I'll just wait."

"Okay."

"And-"

"Nate, can you stop telling me stuff?" She asked. "I don't like knowing this much about Blair. It's not fair."

"Yeah, sorry."

"It's okay."

"Should we just watch the game and pretend we didn't talk about any of this stuff?"

Cassie looked at her bottle and contemplated what Nate had said. "It's a deal."

-

She was watching Breakfast at Tiffany's when he rang. There was something about knowing how the movie was going to end that comforted her: no surprises, no twists, just the ending.

"How's Manhattan?" He asked, somewhat too casually she found.

"Crappy." She replied softly from under the duvet. "How's New Haven?"

"It would be better if you were here."

"Did you get your assignment finished."

"Not yet."

"Then why are you talking to me instead of doing it?"

"I wanted to check everything was okay. You didn't text so I thought there might be some family crisis."

"Well my mom thinks I'm sick again."

"Sick?"

"Yeah." Her voice was lower. "Like before."

"And did you tell her that she was wrong?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"And she didn't believe me until she called Dr Zuckerman and have him pay a little visit."

"Blair I called because I wanted to tell you something."

Her stomach heaved. If he was going to say what she thought he was going to say, then she had to tell him something first – she couldn't blind him afterwards: he needed options.

"Blair, I l-"

She blurted it quickly, her hands sweating again as she pressed her cell to her ear in hope of at least hearing him breathing. "I'm pregnant."

* * *


	23. Silence of a Thousand Broken Hearts

**A/N- **For: **, Karina, JoJo.x, mystripedskirt, Sheri.808, juicygirlx04, Miss DK, Blood Red Kiss of Death, AnnaBlake, Heavenlydoll, sailor cyanide, 23, blair4eva, Edwardslover09, Amber530, bridgeteebeethequeen, Lauren1102, al2010, laxer77, moccamary, Zoe, finnlover, GGlover-1 Gaara-LOve, flipped, 3venst4r, mary1415, **and **laurienlaurie** I love you all for your reviews. I know a few of you are still panicking but this story was always centered aroud this when I planned it in my head. It's hard trying to keep you all happy when some of you are N/B and the rest are C/B haha. For those who want more Cassie: she's coming :)

Hope you enjoy this. You know what to do at the end :)

* * *

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 22: Silence of a Thousand Broken Hearts

"What?"

"I said I'm pre-"

"I heard you."

"Then why-"

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." She answered honestly.

"I can't believe you just told me this over the phone."

"Are you mad?" Blair asked.

"I don't think this is something we should talk about when we're in different cities."

"You _are _mad."

"I'm not." Chuck breathed heavily, almost like it was taking every ounce of energy he had to make himself sound relatively convincing. "I just…does Eleanor know?"

"Yes."

"So what, you just told everyone but me?"

"I didn't tell everyone, just my mom. It just slipped out when I was trying to convince her that I'm not bulimic."

"So when are you coming back here?"

"I don't know." She shrugged even though he couldn't see. "I'm not sure my mom will just let me get back on a plane after a revelation like that."

"You're in college Blair." Chuck replied. "Our parents don't have to make our decisions anymore."

"_Our parents _pay for our tuition." She spat back. "I think that gives them some say in what we do or don't do when we're there."

"Since when did you care before?"

"Are we having a fight about this? Or are you going to support me. I thought that's what boyfriends do."

_Boyfriend. _Somehow, her saying that word made him want to kiss her and not scream that she needed to get herself to a clinic or wherever they got rid of foetuses.

_Boyfriend. _Somehow, saying that word made her regret ever telling him she was pregnant in the first place. Chuck Bass was never a boyfriend, not just never _her _boyfriend but never anyone's. It just didn't seem appropriate.

"You know I'll be there." He replied, his voice softer when he finally gave his answer. "And I guess it would be kind of cool to have a little guy around. Someone I could teach how to get women."

She half-laughed through a tear or two. "Even when you're being nice you can be such a Basstard."

"I don't think I can help it."

In that moment, Blair was sure that she might actually love Chuck Bass. Again (or still, really). But she kept quiet. "I'll call you when get my flight."

"Okay."

"And Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell anyone okay? Not even Cassie."

"Okay."

Dorota was at her door when she shut her cell, the movie still playing in the background, just with the mute button pressed. "Miss Blair, Miss Eleanor say I must not be happy for you." The maid told her in a whisper. "But I think maybe you be good mom. And Mister Chuck be good dad. And maybe if you have girl, you name her after me."

The brunette rolled her eyes but offered a small smile. "Thanks."

Dorota nodded.

"But for the record, I would never name my child after my Polish maid."

Dorota simply shrugged with a small smile back at the girl she helped grow up. "Worth a shot."

-

They two of them were sipping beer – again – in Nate's dorm while talking about cars and their work loads and trying _not _to talk about Blair when Cassie knocked lightly before entering anyway, her head dipped and her hands covering her eyes.

"Oh." She said quietly looking up at the two of them sitting on the couch, empty bottles stood on the table. "I didn't realise you'd both be here."

"What's wrong Cassie?" Nate asked, immediately putting down his bottle to examine the upset blonde in closer detail.

"It's Asher." She sobbed, trying to roll her eyes at herself but failing, giving way to more tears instead as Chuck flicked the television off and set his beer bottle down on the table. "We're finished…he…he dumped me."

"Cass-"

"Did you know?" She asked quietly. "Did he tell you he was going to end things?"

"I had no idea." Nate shook his head. "Honestly Cass."

Chuck frowned. "Okay what happened? Because the last thing I saw was you guys jumping each other in the library-"

"Chuck." Nate shot his friend a look that told him not to ask anything further.

"He said he loved me." Cassie cried and this time Nate frowned.

"But-"

"And I couldn't say it back."

"Mouth too dry?" Chuck asked with a raised eyebrow. "Stomach too tight? Your head feel like it was going to explode?" He softened his humour. "Because I've been there."

"I didn't say it back because it isn't true."

"You don't love him?" Nate asked.

"Well, I mean I love _spending time_ with him but it's not like I love _him_." She wiped furiously at more tears falling across her cheeks. "Oh God, does that make me a bad person?"

Chuck and Nate looked at each other and Nate swallowed hard before answering. "No it doesn't, but…Cassie I don't get it. You're this upset over him breaking up with you but you don't love him?"

"It's not like we're going to get married or anything." She sobbed. "I just thought we were having fun together – we don't need to be in love to do that. I'm in _college. _I want a life, I want to get drunk and have fun not feel like I have to be with him because he loves me."

"And did you tell him all of this?" Nate asked.

"I tried to. But he asked me to leave before I could finish."

"Maybe I could talk to him? Nate offered. "Try and explain."

Cassie shook her head. "He said as long as I didn't love him then we were a waste of time."

"Cass I'm sor-"

"You know what I need?" She said, wiping her tears and huffing towards the refrigerator.

"Meaningless sex?" Chuck offered. "You know I would normally offer, but I'm dating Blair and I don't think she'd understand."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the thought, but no, that's not what I meant. I need to get drunk. Like, _seriously _drunk. Damn I wish Blair wasn't in Manhattan right now."

"Me too." Chuck muttered causing Nate to shake his head and roll his own eyes a little.

"There's beer in the refrigerator." He told her. "Knock yourself out." He frowned and corrected himself as Cassie took out a bottle for herself. "Not literally though."

"I could always try." She took a large gulp and faced the boys' semi-concerned expression. "Kidding."

-

Blair frowned at the screen of her cell phone as Dorota knocked on the door outside. "Miss Blair, your car here outside."

"Coming." She sighed, smoothing down her skirt before texting Eric back quickly that she was on her way. She wasn't quite sure why Serena's brother was asking for her help – especially when she was only in town for a couple days, but figured maybe he was in need of gay love advice and as she had experience in that field due to her father's still unconventional relationship with Roman, she would indeed be the person who could help.

"Is everything okay with Mr Eric?"

"I don't know until I get there Dorota." She snapped. "Sorry. Hormones."

"It's okay." The maid replied. "Miss Eleanor was crazy bitch when she was pregnant with you." She bent towards Blair's ear. "Even more crazy than now."

"Dorota!" Blair feigned shock. "My mother pays your wages. That's no way to speak about her." She smiled to show she was joking. "Even if it _is_ true."

When the familiar limo dropped her off at the hotel however, Blair was ushered into Bart's office by his Thai PA who apparently went by the name of Jasmine. Blair guessed that wasn't her real name.

Bart nodded at his staff to shut the door behind them before indicating a seat opposite from him for the brunette to sit in.

"Mr Bass." She greeted. "Eric needed to talk to me about something so-"

She stopped when he held up a cell phone in his left hand. "_Eric_ doesn't need your help Blair." He told her in the same tone that he reserved for talking to Chuck: the same tone that she hated.

She already knew where this was going.

"I would congratulate you on your news." He shot a glance to her still flat stomach. "But I feel that in this case, a celebration isn't exactly appropriate."

"I don't know what you mean." She replied defiantly.

"You're a good influence on Charles, Blair. I was one of the most disappointed when I heard that your relationship didn't work out the first time. But you're older now." He added. "And wiser, or so I thought."

She uncrossed her left leg from her right and swapped them over. "What are you saying Mr Bass?"

"What I'm saying, is that you and my son are in college and that's no place to raise a child. It's your _first _year. Surely you wouldn't want to make him miss out on everything that comes with a proper education."

"How do you-"

He held up a hand to hush her. "It's not important. What matters is that if you keep this baby, you'll be ruining both yours and Chuck's lives."

"That's a decision _Chuck _and I will make together."

"Perhaps you don't fully understand the consequences."

Blair watched as Bart opened his desk drawer to take something out that looked horribly like a chequebook. "What are you saying?" She managed to choke out.

"We need to do something about this situation. Charles never has to know."

"Too late." She raised an eyebrow, an attempt to the man she was almost certain would win anyway. "Chuck already knows. And he's not going anywhere."

"How about when he finds out that I'll take away his trust fund? Do you think he'll support you then? When I no longer pay his Yale tuition fees, when he doesn't have enough money to pay for that dorm he's living in? You're just a girl Blair – no matter what your last name – that got pregnant by someone who's too young and too foolish to make the right decision."

She wanted to argue back. But this was Bart Bass. And for him – for Chuck too – money was everything.

"He wants to graduate with a job in Bass Industries, a nice penthouse apartment overlooking the city. He won't get those things without graduating." He closed his hands together and looked her directly in the eye. "And if you two keep this baby, I'll _make sure_ he doesn't graduate."

"I never understood why Chuck hated you so much." Her lips trembled. "But now I do."

"I was never a proper father to Charles, Blair." Bart continued undeterred. "I started too late, but I intend to make every second count now. And by letting him support you and this baby, I'll be letting him throw away any chance he has of making something of himself. Surely you wouldn't want that on your conscience?"

He was blackmailing her. And there was nothing she could do.

"This should cover any medical expenses." He said, handing her a cheque.

She screwed up her nose. Medical expenses were code for abortion. She didn't need Bart's money for one of those. Keeping the baby was never a certainty cut after knowing where Chuck stood, it was a possibility. She could be happy, she figured with a child and a man who wasn't going anywhere. Now, if she had the baby, all she would get would be a child: no support. Taking the cheque, she ripped it straight up, throwing the tiny pieces back at the man who had just determined her future.

Bart sighed and clicked his pen again so that the nib poked out. "Now that was a little ungrateful."

"I've got nothing to be grateful to you for."

"I'm offering you a solution to this problem Blair."

"There was never a problem to begin with."

Bart scoffed. "Come on Blair. You and I both know Charles. So he might have promised to be there for you now, but for how long? A year after you have the baby? Maybe not even that – maybe he'd only manage nine months."

"That's not fair." She trembled. "He might have been like that in high school but Chuck is responsible now."

He scoffed again and Blair wasn't even sure why she was still sitting there. "So responsible that I had to pull him out of Duke?" He raised an eyebrow. "This is for your own good as well as his." He handed her another cheque, this time the amount greater than the one before. "You'll take it."

"I don't need your money."

"It'll cover your flight home."

He placed his chequebook back in his desk drawer and clasped his hands together. "In time you'll see I'm right."

She bit her lip and stood up, summoning as much dignity as she'd been left with to leave his office.

"And Blair?" Bart added. "I trust you won't inform Charles of our meeting. I'd hate to have to tell him how you accepted money to make this go away."

It wasn't until after she'd made her appointment at the clinic back in New Haven that she finally cried. And once she started, Blair found herself unable to stop for hours. Dorota must have suspected something: she offered Blair some of her amoniaczki that she'd gotten from the Polish bakery on Nassau Avenue. Eleanor knew, of course she did: she was the one who'd called Bart in the first place.

And when she did eventually stop crying under her duvet – mainly because she could barely breathe – the result was exactly how she'd imagine the silence of a thousand broken hearts.

* * *


	24. Over

**A/N- **Sorry that I didn't update last week. I was trying to carve myself a career in a different city lol. Thank yous to **Laffinalot, :), Kate, Brenda, moccamary, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Heavenlydoll, sailor cyanide, NB, , Edwardslover09, laxer77, Midnight Shard, Opheliafrost, Bassdorf, JoJo.x, Amber530, Kensley-Jackson, al2010, :D, GGlover-1, 23, Miss DK, laurienlaurie, annablake, Gaara-LOve, mary1415, 24hourscout, 3venst4r, **and **flipped **for being awesome and reviewing last chapter. Should be back on track with my updates as of now because uni is finished soon for the summer :)

Hope you all enjoy xxx

**

* * *

**

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 23: Over

It should have been quite possibly the worst day of her life, and yet Blair found herself strangely removed from the whole thing. She could tell the nurse was trying to make it so that she couldn't see, what with the blue sheets and everything, but there was the smallest of gaps that Blair found herself able to see over. And of course, she couldn't take her eyes away.

She remembered the cold of the clamp, the doctor's voice as he told her to 'relax as much as she could' before he shoved some sort of tube up there, mentioned something about suction as she gripped the side of the bed as tightly as she could. And it wasn't Chuck she was wishing for to hold her hand or smooth her hair and promise everything would be alright. It was Nate she wanted – not for romance, not for love, but for comfort, because he was her friend – the best one she had probably, and that's what she needed. And then it all went black.

She must have passed out, she figured. That, or she'd had one of those out-of-body experiences they talk about so much in articles about alternative therapy and spirits and destinies, because the last thing she remembered was the lump-like mass at the other end of her body, and now she was wearing a white paper gown that the nurse was telling her she could remove in the bathroom to the right.

It was over and there were no tears, perhaps just an even deeper hatred for Bart Bass. For Chuck, she tried to feel nothing – not love like before, not hate like in junior year after Nate had found out about them and he'd blown her off in the Palace bar, just nothing, almost like she didn't even know him. Perhaps, she thought, she didn't.

-

"Okay, I'm happy for you and Blair that you've _finally _gotten together." Cassie told Chuck, frowning as he smiled at the mention of her name. "But you actually smiling is freaking me out."

Chuck shrugged. "Maybe it's the love."

Nate rolled his eyes.

"Oh my God, you love her?" Cassie squealed. "Did you tell her?"

"Not yet." He was waiting to place his hands on her stomach. _Then _he'd tell her.

Cassie shot Nate a look that told him he should at least act like he was pleased for them. "At least one of us has feelings around here."

"Asher still not speaking to you?" Chuck asked. She shook her head. "Want us to kick his ass."

Nate scoffed.

"What?"

"He's one of my best friends; I'm not going to kick his ass."

"Why not?"

"Serena didn't kick _your _ass when you wouldn't tell Blair you loved her."

"No, but Blair did."

"That's different."

"Uh guys?" Cassie laughed. "It's okay, nobody needs to kick Asher's ass. Although it _is _cute."

Chuck groaned and Nate shook his head. "Fine. Let's move on."

"To what?"

"4th of July plans."

"Please no road trips." Nate replied.

"Only to my parents's house." She returned. "It's only like a half hour drive from here and I'm pretty sure that Blair can vouch for me when I say my driving must be better than Serena's."

Chuck sucked in his breath loudly before whistling back out.

"What?"

"Now Nate might kick _your _ass for dissing his girl."

The blonde held up her hands. "I was joking. I didn't mean to offend you Nate."

"You didn't offend me." He replied. "And Serena is not my girl."

Chuck smirked. "Right Nathaniel. That's why you've been brooding every free minute you've had since we got back from California."

"I don't brood." He asserted.

Quickly realising where the conversation might head, Cassie reverted back to the original topic. "So 4th July, my parents are having their annual barbeque, so if there's not some ridiculously lavish Upper East Side Gala you have to attend, you're both very welcome. Blair too."

"Sounds kinda fun." Nate agreed. "Better than the Hamptons anyway."

"Last year you had sex with the wife of a Lord. What's more fun than that?"

"We were hiding out at my Grandparents' because my father was being booked for fraud."

Chuck nodded and smirked. "True. And he had that nasty coke habit…"

"Yeah, thanks for that."

"You're welcome."

"So you'll come?" Cassie asked. "My mom _does_ make the best hamburger relish in all of Connecticut."

"In that case I'm in." Nate replied.

"Chuck?"

"I'll clear it with Blair." He shrugged. "Should be fine."

-

He was waiting for her in the arrival's lounge and he'd brought flowers: freesias to be exact. She couldn't even look him in the eye.

"I missed you." He told her before planting a kiss on her lips. Had it not been from Chuck Bass, some might have classed it as a peck. Blair most definitely did not. It was more than that, it _held _more than that.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

He shrugged. "I gave it a miss. Thought I'd come and pick my girlfriend up from the airport."

"I'd have gotten a cab."

"Well we can just get a cab together." He replied, taking her suitcase with one hand and reaching for her free one with the other. "I wanted to get chance to talk in private about the baby."

She cringed when he said those words.

"Your hands are sweating." He commented. "Are you feeling okay?"

Blair snatched the hand in question away from his. "Then don't hold it. You were never one for doing that anyway."

He frowned at her and reached across her body for her left hand anyway, taking his over it before placing it against his side. "I like holding your hand, sweating or not."

"Well I don't like you holding it if you think it's sweating." Blair huffed, taking it away again.

He'd have argued if she hadn't been pregnant with his child, but that thought seemed to overrule all of the others in his head. And he figured that's all she'd need to win every argument they'd ever had.

He chuckled slightly, let a smile play on his lips for a little longer than usual, and for a split-second Blair guessed she'd made the wrong decision. And then two girls walked past them - quite obviously models, or at least worthy of a magazine shoot between them – and she saw Chuck's head turn ever-so-slightly towards them: she'd made the right decision.

"How about we go out for dinner tonight?" Chuck suggested as though the moment hadn't happened. "Ibiza was good last time."

She paused and considered. The restaurant was classy enough to warrant a dress code and that meant they had to be polite and considerate. At least if she told him the truth there, then he couldn't shout in front of people, not that she'd ever expected him to really want the baby anyway. Bart was right: the fascination would have lasted until she started showing. Then he'd be in clubs eyeing up girls with flat stomachs while she studied pregnancy books. She couldn't go through that: _wouldn't _go through that.

"Blair?"

"Uh, yeah fine."

-

The dorm was in apparent darkness when Blair got inside, the only noise coming from the bedroom muffled, like a kind of humming. If Cassie was having sex with Asher in her bed then she was going to wash the sheets. Several times.

Knocking on the door, Blair cleared her throat. "I need to get a towel for the shower and I do _not _want to see naked body parts. You've got five seconds before I'm coming in."

When she did push the door back, it wasn't Cassie and Asher, but simply Cassie herself, crying into a pillow in a ball.

"Cass, what happened?" She gasped at the blonde whose face resembled a racoon.

"Didn't Chuck tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Asher broke up with me?"

"What? Why?" Blair demanded.

"Because I didn't love him."

"You don't love him?"

"I thought we were just having fun."

"And?"

"And then he told me he loved me and I couldn't say it back."

"Oh."

"Yeah. And so he said there was no point in being together if we weren't headed somewhere. "

"Do you miss him?"

"Yeah. I never wanted to break up but he said we were a waste of time." She let another tear fall and then rolled her eyes.

"Do you want me to kick his ass?"

"No."

"Do you want me to get Nate to kick his ass?"

She laughed a little and wiped at her face. "No thanks, Chuck offered and Nate already declined."

"Okay well the offer always stands." Blair replied, smoothing Cassie's hair with her hand before reaching for a towel.

"B, could you not tell the guys about this? I just kinda acted like I was over it this morning."

The brunette smiled. "Sure."

"So how was home?"

She offered a tight smile. "The same as ever."

"Was there some sort of crisis?"

"Everything's fine now." Blair answered evasively.

"What was it? Someone lose a Jimmy Choo? Maid start sleeping with your step dad?"

"Just stuff with my mom as always." She replied. "Like I said, it's all over now."

"Chuck was excited to see you. He's been walking around with this massive grin on his face all day."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Cassie rolled her eyes. "It's been freaking me out."

Blair laughed nervously. "Yeah. Me too a little.

-

"I wanted to tell you something later." Chuck said as the waiter handed their menus and left the pair alone. "But I could tell you-"

"Chuck I need to tell you something first." Blair interrupted.

"Do you know the sex?" He asked. "Are you that far along that they can tell you? Have you had a scan? Did-"

"Chuck!"

He placed a hand on top of hers. "Sorry."

She took a deep breath. "There's no baby."

"What?"

"I'm not pregnant, I-"

"So you just lied to me?"

"I didn't lie, I-"

"What did you go to Manhattan for?" He demanded, much too loudly for their setting. "Did you even go there? Or were you somewhere else pretending."

"How can you even say that?"

"Because for days now I've been getting used to the idea that I'm going to be a father in nine months and you come back from New York and tell me you're not pregnant."

"Chuck, people are looking." Blair hissed.

"You think I care? I want the truth Blair. Why did you lie about being pregnant?"

"I told you I didn't lie!"

"Then what, you just had an abor…oh God you did, didn't you?" He asked, his voice much quieter. "You had an abortion."

She couldn't help crying as she nodded. "I-"

"You tell me you're pregnant and then just get rid of my child straight after?"

"We're not ready Chuck, look at us! We haven't even finished our first year yet. We messed around, playing that stupid game with each other all the way through our last two years of Constance and St Judes. We can't even tell each other how we feel? How were we going to manage with a baby?"

"I was bringing you here tonight to tell you that I loved you." He spat. "And all you've got to say for yourself is that you got rid of _my _child because you weren't ready?"

"Come on Chuck." Her voice was angry, defensive. "I saw you look at those two girls in the airport."

"Which girls?"

"Those models; or at least prospective models."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You get high, you sleep with prostitutes, well, you just sleep with _any_ girl, you got kicked out of Duke, or at least you did something so bad that you had to leave _before _word got round. None of that makes you good enough to be a father."

She felt like the worst person in the world. It might have been true, but all of those things had happened before they'd gotten together, and the only justification she had was that she loved him too much to tell him the truth.

"You know, you keep talking about how you're a different person now, and how Yale has changed you, but you're still the same. You're still the Upper East Side bitch who'll do anything to keep her position as queen."

She shook her head. "That's not true."

"Then what?" His voice was back to being loud again now, sarcastic, and even the waiter had stayed clear of the pair. "You did it because you love me?"

She dipped her head. He wouldn't believe her if she said it, and she'd be standing there again waiting, just like the night of the White Party the previous summer.

"Good." He stood up and balled his napkin to throw down onto the side plate. "Because I just realised I don't love you either."

It was over, and it was inevitable. She wasn't going to cry or plead with him or tell him that Bart was behind it all because that wasn't fair.

_None_ of it was fair.

The waiter from earlier came back to her table, excused himself and asked whether she might like a drink, or whether she'd prefer to simply leave her table.

Blair opted for the drink.

Upon his return, he offered a smile as he placed the drink to the right of Blair's cutlery. She nodded and raised the glass to her lips. "I _do_ love him."

The waiter only nodded and offered another small smile.

* * *


	25. For Before

**A/N- **Sorry there was no update last week folks. This chapter turned out to be much longer than I'd anticipated so I had to split it. For those who are thinking a Nate/Cassie coupling is in the offing...no way. I like her with Asher so we'll see what happens there...

For: **Georgie, laffinalot, Gaara-LOve, 3venst4r, flipped, Brenda, GreekLia, 23, sailor cyanide, mystripedskirt, al2010, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Richanna, Miss DK, Samantha :), dysenchanted2, GGlover-1, heavenly doll, Jenny 345, bridgeteebeethequeen, teddy bear, That Crazy Chick, SmearedLipGloss, JoJo.x, :D, Laurienlaurie, Bethany, annablake, Edwardslover09, Mary1415 **your reviews have all made me smile, so please keep them coming :) And **Mary1415**, I really hope you're still reading girly, but I undertsnad your reasons if you're not.

Hope this chapter is good for you all :)

**

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 24: For Before

"Can we go out and get drunk?" Blair sighed, throwing her purse onto the table by the doorway.

"What, now?"

"Yes, now."

"Where's Chuck?"

"We broke up."

"What!? Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Cassie frowned. "Ooookay, but didn't he just like, tell you he loved you or something?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

The blonde held her hands up. "Okay, no more questions."

"Are you and Asher back together?" Blair asked.

"No."

"Good."

"Why? Did he say something about me?"

"No."

"Then why are you asking? And why do you have that crazy psychopath glint in your eye?"

"It's not a glint."

Blair." Cassie looked at the brunette pointedly who rolled her eyes.

"Cassie, are we going out or not?"

"Out. But why?"

"Because then we can be the girls we were when we first came here."

"STL?" Cassie suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"If we can skip the salt and the lime and replace them with more tequila."

"Hardcore." Cassie laughed. "I like it. Just let me find something slutty and I'll be right with you."

Blair frowned. "Are you saying my outfit is slutty?"

"Well all I'm saying is that if you wanted to sleep with somebody tonight who _isn't_ Chuck, then you wouldn't be short of offers."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Cassie grinned. "You should."

Blair breathed out as the blonde entered their bedroom to change, attempting to rest her trembling fingers against the sides of her dress before letting them trail over her flat stomach.

"Hey Blair." The blonde called. "Can I borrow your black purse? You know the one with the quilts?"

"Yeah sure-" She replied before remembering that said purse was now lying on a trash heap somewhere, hopefully still concealing the positive test.

"Do you know where you put it?" She called back as the brunette heard hangers banging against the sides of her closet. "I can't seem to find it."

"Uh actually I think I might have lost it." She answered again, frowning at her own response. It would have been easier to say she'd left it at home in Manhattan.

Cassie opened the door to quiz her friend. "You lost a $400 purse?"

"Yeah I guess."

"You just _lost_ it?"

"What is this? Some kind of police interrogation?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I just meant that it isn't like you to just lose a purse. Especially one that you liked so much."

"I think I must have been drunk." She lied again.

"It wasn't on the same drunk scale as that night during the second week where I passed out in the bathroom was it?" Cassie laughed. "Because that was seriously fun. We should do that again tonight."

"What? Get so drunk that the boys have to come and get us because we can't remember where we are?"

"Hell yes!" She held up her hand for Blair to give her a high five before reconsidering. "Except we won't include the boys because a) Asher hates me, and b) Nate doesn't know you broke up with Chuck, and that could be all kinds of awkward. So maybe we can just find some random boys to bring us home?"

Blair considered the offer. "Actually, that sounds like a plan."

-

"You know, the thing about Asher." Cassie slurred into her glass of wine as Blair rolled her eyes for the millionth time. "I know he was an ass about the whole 'I love you thing' but he's just so hot."

"Yeah but-"

"And I know I said we weren't going to talk about…_them _but what if I just lied."

"Lied about what?" Blair asked.

"Well I could just tell him that I love him."

"But you don't."

"Asher doesn't have to know that."

Blair took a huge gulp of her wine and waved the empty glass at the bartender to refill. "Don't you think that he might like, _find out_?"

"No."

"Cass."

"No, just listen. I could say that being apart has made me realise how much I did actually love him."

"But you don't."

"Yeah, we just established that."

"But if you don't love him why do you want to get back together?"

"Did I tell you how cute he is?"

"Yeah."

"And how hot he is in bed?"

"Okay, I think I might throw up my breakfast."

"And how I miss his hands sliding-"

"Cassie!"

The blonde offered a small smile. "Sorry."

"So…"

"So do you just want to insult them both instead?"

"How about we just do some more shots?"

"Good plan. I think I consumed too much tequila that first month of college because I'm not really feeling the effects of those ones we had earlier."

"Sambucca?"

"Only if it's raspberry flavoured. I _hate _the normal stuff."

Blair rolled her eyes. "Fine."

-

"I think." Cassie slurred, tumbling against Blair who was trying in vain to keep her hair parting in a straight line. "I think this is the drunkest I've ever been."

Blair nodded. "Me too."

"I know I got drunk in high school."

"And the first month we were here."

The blonde nodded vigorously and raised her glass in the air. "True Waldorf, very true. But this is like the ultimate of drunkenness for me."

"You know what would make this better?" Blair asked.

"If we stripped?"

The brunette curled up her nose, even in her drunken state still able to know when to stop. "No Cassie - if we had somewhere to dance."

She looked around for a clear area of floor, and seeing none, pointed in the direction of the dj. "That table's looking pretty good right now."

Blair considered her options. She hadn't thought about Chuck all night until now. They'd been Cassie and Blair, just like they were in the first month of school. And she didn't want to be anyone else. "Lead the way."

-

"Well it was just because he was acting weird."

Nate looked pointedly at Asher as they walked into the bar blasting loud music. "It's Chuck. If you don't know him it always looks like he's acting weird."

"I'm just saying man, he was all silent and stuff. He didn't even take the opportunity to call me a tousled-haired poof like he did last time." Asher replied with a sigh. "And I _was _wearing sweat pants without a shirt."

Nate laughed. "Blair probably pissed him off."

"I can see why she'd have that effect on people."

Nate shook his head as they pushed through the crowds of people to the bar. "Not people. Just Chuck."

"You're just blinded because you're in love with her."

"What!" Nate scoffed, frowning as he failed to hear his own voice ask the bartender for two beers above the cheers that were coming from somewhere across the room. "I'm not in love with…"

Through a break in the crowd, the two spied two girls looking suspiciously like Cassie and Blair on top of a table. Dancing. In very small clothing.

Asher gulped. "Oh shit."

"Blair."

"And Cassie."

"Do you want to get out of here?"

Nate watched as his friend eyed his blonde ex-girlfriend. She looked stunning in electric blue and grey, her arms looped with Blair's as the two shook their bodies in time with the beat and the cheers only got louder.

"No." He replied, leaving the bar to walk towards the table in question.

"Asher, what are you doing?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe this isn't a good idea."

He shrugged and swigged his beer. Nate did the same.

-

"Bar." Cassie mouthed to Blair, making a gesture with her hand that indicated she needed more tequila. The brunette nodded and took her friend's outstretched hand in order to get down from the table. They were replaced quickly with two other girls before a third joined them, and the crowd seemed to disperse a little, at least so that everyone else was dancing too.

"Shot time!" The blonde giggled, placing her clutch on the bar and holding two fingers up to the bartender.

"Of?" He asked.

"Your finest alcohol."

He looked the girls up and down and then came back with a clear liquid that Blair suspected was only Grey Goose. Still, she took the tiny glass in her fingers as Cassie did the same.

"We should do a cheers!"

Blair frowned. "To what?"

"To being us again. Like we were before those idiots screwed us over."

She felt bad. Chuck didn't screw her over. In fact, it was pretty much the other way around. Still, she kept a dimpled smile on her face and clinked her glass against her friend's. "For before."

-

"She looks hot." Asher mouthed to Nate as they took up residence by a post not far from the bar where Cassie and Blair were stood.

"Blair?"

"Cassie."

"Uh yeah, she does." Nate replied. It wasn't that he fancied Cassie, but he'd always found her very attractive, something most men appeared to do judging by the amount of them swarming around their two ex-girlfriends at the bar.

"She looks like she doesn't love me though."

Nate almost choked on his drink. "What?"

"Forget what I just said, this is getting weird."

"Yeah." He looked at Blair who seemed very drunk. "It is."

Asher narrowed his eyes. "Look at that guy's hand." He nodded to a blonde-haired guy about their age who didn't look nearly as intoxicated as Cassie. His hands were roaming up the back of her dress and Nate could tell from the look on her face that she wasn't enjoying it.

-

Cassie squirmed away from the blonde guy who was trying his best to slide his hand up the back of one of her legs.

"Come on baby." He breathed into her ear as he nodded over her shoulder to someone that appeared to be his friend. Someone who was taking up residence beside Blair.

"She doesn't want your hands on her." Blair told him coldly, reaching her hand out to pull her friend away. The guy beside her caught it. "Cassie let's go."

The two men blocked their way and Cassie looked helplessly at her friend as she felt lips on her neck leaving a trail of unwanted kisses. Blair tried to squeeze past but was blocked by a hand on her thigh, wishing more than anything that Chuck had been there with them. Nobody would have dared lay a finger on her.

Suddenly, the blonde groping Cassie was spun around by a very angry-looking Asher. "Get your hands off her."

"What's it to you?"

Blair watched with wide eyes as Cassie stayed pinned between the bar and the blonde guy, her own fate still undecided until she felt a very familiar pair of arms loop around her waist and pull her out: Nate.

"She's my girlfriend."

"Oh look Brandon." The blonde guy said to his friend. "Abercrombie and Fitch have come to the rescue."

Blair felt Nate push against Brandon's friend but pulled him back, sealing her hands around his. "Just leave it Nate." She pleaded. "Maybe we should just go home."

The girls watched as Nate and Asher eyed up Brandon and his friend before pulling them out towards a more open area of the bar.

"Are you okay?" Nate asked.

"I cannot believe you just did that!" Cassie fumed, pulling away from Asher to head out of the door. The three of them ran after her, all confused.

"Cassie wait!" Asher shouted as they got out into the street. "Cassie!"

"Why?" She spat. "So you can tell me how I wasted your time again?"

"You're mad at me for saving you from those guys? Really?"

"Do you think we should just leave them?" Nate asked Blair who still had hold of his fists.

"Are you kidding? She might kill him."

Nate chuckled a little. "What are you guys doing here anyway? I thought you went out to dinner with Chuck?"

"I did."

"So where is he?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"We broke up."

"What? Why?"

"He doesn't love me anymore. Or, at all. Ever. I don't know, I don't want to talk about it."

"I knew he was going to do this again, I-"

"Nate, can we just…not?"

"Sure." His voice was quieter as he pulled her towards him a little. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "I guess."

He looked at her again.

"Not really."

"You're an asshole!" Cassie screamed, interrupting them as Asher attempted to calm her down to no avail.

"I'm an asshole? Why? Because I broke up with you when you said you didn't love me!? What was I supposed to do, be all like 'no worries, you don't have to love me if you don't want to'? You're a freak!"

Nate pulled a worried expression at Blair. "I can't believe he just called her a freak."

"I can't believe you just called me a freak!" Cassie shouted.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Asher returned, his voice still loud and frantic. "But what was I supposed to do when I saw you in there looking all cute in that dress with that guy's hand groping you? I couldn't just watch!"

"You didn't have to call me your girlfriend."

"It was the heat of the moment Cassie, it wasn't just like I had a speech planned! I saw you there and you didn't look like you were enjoying it. And I just wanted to make sure you were safe." His voice softened as he neared her. "Because even if you don't love me, it doesn't mean I just stopped loving you."

Blair screwed up her nose and muttered to Nate. "That was sappy."

He nodded in agreement. "It was like a freaking Hallmark card. Don't worry, I'll rip him for it later."

They watched as Cassie smiled a little, her eyes hazy and unfocused from the amount of alcohol she'd consumed. "You think I look cute?"

Asher nodded with a smile. "And sexy. And hot. And-"

She cut him off with her lips, fingers attacking his air as he rested a hand on the wall behind her so as to support them both.

"Why does it feel like we're watching a live porn show?" Blair asked.

Nate rubbed the back of his neck. "It's making me uncomfortable."

"Me too."

"Can we leave now?"

"Yes please." Blair replied. "Urgh, they're going to have sex tonight aren't they?"

"I'd say it's a safe bet."

"They'd better not do it in my bed again."

"They've done it in your bed?"

"Yep." She nodded. "Cassie has no shame."

Nate chuckled and rested his arm around the shoulder of his ex-girlfriend. "You want to stay at mine?" He noticed her body language and pulled her a little closer. "I'll stay on the couch. It just saves you getting your own private show of…" They watched with grimaces as Cassie looped her legs around Asher's waist. "That."

"Will you make me cinnamon toast in the morning? I don't think my head's going to like the amount of tequila I've had tonight."

He laughed a little. "Sure."

"Cass." Blair shouted, trying to get the blonde's attention. "Cassie!"

"Asher!" Nate called after Blair's failed attempt. "Asher!"

The boy in question looked around briefly to view Nate .

"We're just…" Nate pointed to a cab down the street. "Going to head back."

Asher nodded and continued his assault on Cassie's lips, neck and collarbone as Blair tutted and fought the urge not to cry.

-

Nate's cell beeped as they were in the cab. After reading the message, he quickly snapped it shut, startling Blair.

"Who was that?"

"Oh just-"

"It was Chuck, wasn't it?"

Nate laughed a little nervously. "You know me too well for me to lie."

"What did he say?"

"He told me not to tell you."

She braced herself so that her voice wouldn't crack. "It's three a.m. What did he say Nate?"

"He's at the airport."

She wasn't sure how she managed to hear the rest, what with the volume her heart was beating blocking all other sounds from her ears.

Nate continued. "He's heading back home for a couple days. Said there's some some stuff he needs to do."

"What stuff?"

"I don't know, he didn't say."

"Oh."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Blair shook her head. "No."

* * *


	26. 4th of JuLIE

**A/N- **Major props to **Brenda, JoJo.x, Bassdorf, Gaara-LOve, mystripedskirt, Mary1415, teddy bear, Heavenlydoll, poptart :), xoxo - Amber, al2010, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Edwardslover09, sailor cyanide, SmearedLipGloss, MZGG, Stella, laxer77, :D, Laurienlaurie, MissDK, annablake, **and **flipped **for being awesome and reviewing last chapter :)

I don't normally update on a Wednesday but I've been sick and have had time to write. Also got an idea for a new oneshot and chapter fic. Go me :)

Enjoy xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 25: 4th of Ju-LIE

"Blair, can you toss the salad if I make the salsa?" Cassie asked, handing the brunette an apron to save the dress she was wearing. "Nate, you're on guacamole."

"Uh, okay." He replied, eyeing Blair who seemed to have no clue what she was doing.

"Asher, you can help my dad with the meat."

"How come he gets to do something fun and manly?" Nate asked. "He gets meat and I get pureed avocado? That's not fair."

"Because he needs to bond with my dad. You don't." Cassie returned, grimacing as Blair soaked the lettuce under the cold tap before leading her now current-again boyfriend out of the back door.

"I can't believe they're back together." Blair said.

"I can't believe she gave us the worst jobs." Nate returned before chuckling a little. "Actually, I _can_ believe you got salad."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She said toss the leaves, not leave them exposed to a monsoon."

Blair looked back to the lettuce drowning in the colander. "Oh."

He chuckled again and put down his knife. "Here, you need to do it like this." He moved so that he was standing behind her and took her hands in his, lifting the salad up in between his fingers.

She shifted her body and put her hands down. "Nate."

"Oh yeah. Sorry."

She shrugged. "It's okay."

"I didn't mean to-"

"I know."

"Are you missing him?"

"It's not even about that."

Now it was Nate's turn to shrug. "It was just a question."

"But I don't have to answer to you." She snapped, dusting the stray bits of lettuce off of her fingers before leaving the room.

Cassie entered the kitchen seconds after with a confused expression on her face. "What just happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Blair just ran across the lawn to the apartment. Did something happen between you guys?"

"I just asked her if she was missing Chuck."

The blonde took hold of the colander and emptied the contents into the wooden bowl on the counter. "You didn't try anything did you?"

"Um..no."

"Nate."

"I didn't mean to. And I didn't mean to upset her, I just…the last time her and Chuck broke up, or, at least when everything in high school happened she wasn't like this, wasn't sad. Something's happened between them Cassie and Blair's messed up."

"I thought we talked about this before." She sighed. "Blair isn't yours to protect Nate. Yeah, she probably_ is _messed up. She just broke up with her boyfriend. Every girl gets upset when that happens, and the last thing she needs is you acting like anything other than a friend."

-

She knew she shouldn't have even contemplated it, let alone typed the address into Google. Still, Blair had found herself reading Gossip Girl and everything she'd suspected, yet hoped wouldn't be true was documented for the world to see.

_Chuck Bass seeking solace in his old comforts?_

_Victrola Victory for Chuck Bass_

The worst one however, was the picture of the limo. She knew what it meant even before she read the post, yet it was as though her life depended on reading every sordid detail because she couldn't pull herself away.

The brunette jumped when she heard Cassie's voice beside her. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "Look."

"Gossip Girl." Cassie frowned. "What's…oh."

"Yeah."

"It won't mean anything Blair."

She shrugged and tried to joke. "It's Independence Day after all right?"

Cassie only offered a small smile before hugging her friend. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. There's nothing you could have done." Blair breathed out and clicked off the screen. "So how are thing with you and Asher anyway?"

She bit her lip. "Good I guess."

Blair frowned.

"It's just, both of us are avoiding the whole 'where is this going?' thing and it's starting to get a bit tense. I know he wants to ask but he can't exactly leave here this weekend after my parents have invited him." Cassie sighed. "Things were simpler before we both got boyfriends huh?"

"Definitely."

"So I saved the salad from a watery grave." The blonde continued. "And Nate seems to be handling the guacamole so if you want, there's some cupcakes that need frosting."

"I'm on it."

"And Blair?" Cassie added as her friend made her exit. "If you ever want to talk, or just tell me what happened; you can call me whenever."

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks Cass."

-

"Sorry about earlier." Blair apologised to Nate after a long period of frosting cupcakes in silence.

He shrugged and waved it away. "You don't need to apologise. I shouldn't have asked."

"You were just trying to be a good friend."

Nate swallowed as he wiped the counter. "Right."

"I should've known Chuck and I wouldn't work. It just seemed like it was going to be different this time."

"Different?"

"Come on Nate." She rolled her eyes. "I know you've checked Gossip Girl too this weekend."

"You've seen the posts about him?"

"It's not like I expected anything different."

It wasn't a lie. She'd just_ hoped_ for something different, and yet there was something satisfying about his behaviour in Manhattan because it meant everything she'd done, the lies she'd told, the pregnancy and abortion she'd covered up were for something. Bart was right. Chuck would never be able to handle a child.

"Still, seeing them actually makes it real huh?" Nate replied quietly.

Blair dipped her head. "Yeah."

"Look, I know you probably just need some time to yourself right now, but I miss hanging out like we used to before Chuck came to Yale."

She smiled. "Me too."

"And I'd like us to be friends again you know, so that you can tell me stuff if you want to – I don't mean about you and Chuck, just…college stuff. Stuff that you maybe can't talk about with Cassie."

"That would be nice." Blair replied. "But I do just need some time on my own." She smiled at him as he nodded and made his way towards the door to show Asher his guacamole. "And Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll always want to be your friend. We _are_ always going to be friends. Right?"

He grinned at her and nodded again. "Right."

-

They'd been to 4th July parties before, Nate and Blair, and of course they were extravagant: they were held on Park Avenue. But this one with the red, white and blue streamers, the bunting, the ridiculous amount of food on offer was a million miles better than what they were used to.

"Blair I cannot believe you're drinking beer!" Cassie squealed from her place on Asher's lap, clinking bottles with her friend across the table.

"We should take a picture of this." Nate laughed as Cassie's mom jumped up on cue, glad of another excuse to snap a photo.

"Yay, photo op!" The blonde squealed again. "Everybody say 'Happy 4th July!'"

"Happy 4th July!" They all chorused before clinking bottles and glasses and downing whatever they had left of their drinks.

"Hey." Asher whispered into Cassie's ear, placing a hand over hers. "Can we talk?"

She nodded and eyed Blair nervously as the pair left the table behind.

"Break up round two?" Nate asked Blair with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head. "Not even close."

-

"So today's been great." Asher told Cassie as she sat down on her bed and he closed the door. "But all I can think about is-"

"Doing me in my bed at my parents' house?" She cocked an eyebrow and giggled.

"Cass, this is serious. I feel that this." He gestured to the two of them. "Us, is serious."

She nodded silently.

"But I can't keep doing this. I can't keep doing us if we're not headed anywhere."

"You don't love me Cassie." Asher said softly. "And I've accepted that. But I love you and I can't be around you because it's too hard. Like when you and Blair were in that club the other night and I saw you with those guys all I wanted to do was knock them out and pull you out of there. But…" He sighed as she bit her bottom lip. "There's no reason for me to do that is there? Because you don't love me."

It was as though she couldn't swallow, couldn't speak, couldn't open her mouth. If she thought about it, she figured she probably could love him. She just didn't right now. She _couldn't_ right now.

"I just need to not be around you when we finish off classes this month and then over summer."

"Asher…"

He half-smiled and shook his head. "Maybe next semester we won't see each other as much anyway. Nate and I will be at Alpha Delta Phi and you and Blair will be in your apartment. It won't be so hard."

He got up to leave, opened the door and looked at her in a way Cassie had never seen him look at her before. She crumbled then.

"Don't go."

"Cass it can't be like this. I have to go."

"No, no you don't. You don't have to go. You can't go."

"Why not?" He asked, seemingly angry judging by the tone of his voice.

"Because I love you."

She finally managed to blurt it out. And as he asked her to repeat it and she did, she felt like a fraud as he kissed her lips and her neck and her collarbone like he'd done outside of the club a few nights previously.

"You love me?"

She closed her eyes as she kissed his lips another time because she couldn't lie to his face again.

"I love you."

-

Blair was getting changed for bed and wearing only a lilac slip when her cell vibrated only in the way it did when Chuck was calling. The way her ears banged and her breathing became shallow involuntarily was what she'd imagined a heart attack to feel like.

Reaching a shaky hand out to pick up the piece of equipment, she suddenly realised she didn't know what he'd want, or even if she wanted to speak to him.

But she was Blair Waldorf and she'd torture herself forever if she let it go to voicemail. And she couldn't even get out a faux-confident 'hello?' before he spoke first.

"What was the cheque for?"

"W..What?" She stammered.

"The cheque in your file. The one my father wrote out to you last week. What was it for?"

She shut her eyes in a failed attempt to stop tears from falling. "I didn't touch the money."

"What was the money for Blair?" He demanded, his voice booming over the line making her jump. "You can't even say it, can you?"

"Chuck-"

"Save it." He cut icily. "You disgust me."

She wrapped her cold arms around herself as all she had left to hear was the dial tone in her left ear and Cassie's happy giggles in the room next door in the other.

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	27. Break

**A/N- **HUGE thank yous to **dysenchanted2, 89, 89, marieLONDON, 23, teddy bear, flipped, annablake, Zoe, Blood Red Kiss of Death, laurienlaurie, dd, mystripedskirt, sailor cyanide, JoJo.x, XOXO - Amber, Bassdorf, Edwardslover09, poochbello, Brenda, GreekLia, al2010, **and **StepyLuvsBL4EVA **for your lovely reviews.

This, my friends, is the last chapter of the gang's freshman year. I toyed with the idea of sophomore year as a new story but with the pace the next few chapters are going to go, I don't think there's much point. Hope you'll enjoy :)

xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 26: Break

"I can't believe this is our last night in this dorm." Cassie mumbled somewhat sadly to Blair as she stuffed the final contents of her closet into a cardboard box that was decidedly too small.

"But we'll get an apartment next semester." Blair replied. "One that has a kitchen bigger than two square metres."

"We don't cook anyway."

Blair shrugged. "True. But we could learn."

"If we learned to make pot roast," Cassie considered. "then the boys would come over for dinner."

"I'm going to miss not being straight across the hall from them."

"Me too."

"I really didn't think Nate and Asher would be the type to rush. When we were still in high school, Nate was always saying how he didn't want to do the same things that his father and his grandfather did, and here he is joining a frat next year." Blair replied, frowning as her friend took to sitting on top of the box she had previously been cramming clothes into.

"You don't think they're going to be hooking up with loads of different sorority girls do you?"

"Why would Asher cheat on you? He loves you remember?"

Cassie rolled her blue eyes and mumbled. "I know. He tells me all the time."

"What?"

"What?" She said quickly.

"You said that Asher tells you that he loves you all the time. Remind me why you don't love him again?"

"I just don't."

"Cass…"

"It's because I'm scared okay?" She hissed, startling Blair who had up until that point been occupied with checking and rechecking the drawers of her bedside table for anything that should have been packed with the rest of her things.

"Scared of what?"

"Scared that I'm going to look like an idiot when he screws me over in a month or two months. Three if I'm lucky."

Blair sat up. "Cassie, Asher isn't just going to screw you over. He's a really good guy."

"Blair, they're all good guys until they screw you over. Look at Chuck."

She shook her head. "This isn't about me and Chuck Cass, and you know it. What is it that you won't admit?"

She shrugged. "Nothing that you won't admit yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that since you came back from Manhattan something was different. You were happy before you left, like really happy. Then you come back, break up with Chuck, get drunk, sleep at Nate's all in one night, and then spend 4th July weekend moping."

"Number one, Chuck broke up with me." Blair spat. "Number two, you got just as drunk as I did, three I slept at Nate's because you got back with Asher that night and I didn't want my own private sex show and finally, I did _not_ spend 4th July weekend moping."

"I'll tell you why I can't love Asher if you tell me why you and Chuck broke up."

"No."

"Fine." Cassie retorted. "I'll just finish packing."

Blair turned her back. "Fine."

They were silent for all of two minutes save for the odd banging of clothes hangers here and there before Cassie caved.

"The last guy I went out with before we came here told me he loved me. I told him I loved him too, because I did, or at least, I thought I did and then he got me pregnant. When I told him, he said I'd better get an abortion because he never really loved me. And you know what? When I was in that room under that awful blue sheet I was convinced that he was going to burst in and hold my hand and tell me he did love me and that he was just scared."

Blair watched her friend with tears pricking in her eyes as she continued.

"He didn't call me once, not even to ask if I was doing okay. And then I saw him about five months later and he was holding hands with this girl that was in my bio class in freshman year who wasn't particularly pretty or smart or rich or any of those things you'd think high school guys would want. And she was pregnant, like, seven months gone. And then I found out at this party that he'd been cheating on me with her the last five months we'd been together."

"Oh Cass." Blair threw her arms around the blonde who had finally stopped stuffing the box.

"So if he could cheat on me with her – a girl who had nothing much to offer, what's stopping Asher cheating on me with some girl at Yale?"

"What's stopping him," Blair replied, "is that he _loves _you. Like, actually loves you."

"But…"

"You're not just some girl Cassie. If a guy takes you on a Spring Break vacation to meet his family then it means something."

"God I'm so glad we shared this place." The blonde sniffed as Blair nodded.

"Me too."

"Promise me we're still going to be best friends next semester."

Blair thought back to Serena and Penelope and Hazel and everybody else she hung out with at Constance. "Promise."

The two giggled and turned back to what they'd been doing before, namely trying to squash everything they owned into two few boxes. It was quiet for a while, for too long, and this time it was Blair's turn to break the still.

"I had an abortion."

-

"I can't believe this is the last time we're going to hang out in this dorm." Nate said to Chuck as he stacked another cardboard box onto an already large pile.

"Well it's hardly The Palace is it?"

"Right there." Asher said, motioning to Chuck. "That's what I'm not going to miss when we move into our houses."

"And you think I'm going to miss you?"

Nate shook his head and laughed. "I actually can't believe you'll be at Sigma Alpha next semester. I never thought you were the rushing kind."

"Please." Chuck rolled his eyes. "They wanted me."

"And you just _had_ to oblige." Asher returned sarcastically, taking a swig from a bottle of beer.

Chuck shrugged. "They have the best house. Girls love that crap."

"Girls, or Blair?" Nate asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Waldorf and I are not together Nathaniel." He replied. "It came to my attention while in Manhattan that I've wasted too much of my experience here vying for her affections. Therefore, it is my mission next semester gentlemen, to determine which sorority houses the most sluts under one roof."

Asher shook his head. "You're disgusting."

"No." Chuck returned. "Just curious."

-

"You what?" Cassie gasped wide-eyed at Blair.

"When I was in Manhattan. I had an abortion."

"Was it Chuck's?"

She nodded.

"Does he know?"

"Yes. Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"If I tell you this, you have to promise not to tell Chuck or Nate or Asher or anybody."

Cassie placed her hand over her chest and nodded. "Promise."

"Good, because I just really need someone to tell me I did the right thing."

-

It was the final party of their final night of first year and the first time since her abortion that Blair actually felt semi-comfortable. They'd been invited, the two of them: Blair and Cassie, to a party thrown by Alpha Delta Phi as a farewell to the seniors and a goodwill gesture to the new members.

To their surprise, Blair and Cassie had found that you didn't have to be in a sorority to be invited to such events, just that you had to know the right people, or, more appropriately, having the right people wanting to get to know _you_.

It helped obviously, that the pair were heavily associated with the lacrosse players what with Cassie dating (and now admitting to loving) Asher and Blair seemingly on the verge of being with Nate (at least from an outsider's point of view) and Blair had figured that they would pretty much be okay when it came to invitations to parties thrown by the main fraternities.

The other frat houses were throwing parties too: they'd seen Chuck leave for High Street a few minutes prior to Nate and Asher and plenty of other guys from their hallway had been making their way to their respective destinations, all with the mind to drink as much as possible for as long as possible.

"Ladies." Some blonde guy nodded at Cassie and Blair, handing them a token red beer cup each. "Enjoy."

"Urgh." Blair curled her nose after he'd gone. "Do you think we actually have to drink this stuff all the time?"

"I hope not." Cassie replied. "I'd rather drink straight bourbon."

"It doesn't even look like beer."

"Blair, it's from a keg. This is what it looks like."

"Well I'm unimpressed."

"Clearly."

"You're unimpressed about what?" The same guy from earlier drawled in Blair's ear as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Perhaps I can help."

Blair shrugged. "Doubtful."

"I'll give it a shot."

"Okay." She shrugged again. "Your beer sucks."

"_My_ beer sucks?"

"You're something to do with this party right?"

"Tyler Jonson." He extended his right hand, first to Blair and then to Cassie. "President of the fraternity as of next semester."

"Well Mr President." Blair drawled back. "If you plan on hosting decent parties, you need to get some decent beer."

He grinned at her and raised his own cup before turning to leave. "I'll see what I can do."

Cassie raised an eyebrow at her friend after Tyler had disappeared into the crowd. "Nice flirting technique Waldorf."

"What? I wasn't flirting."

"_Mr President_."

"He said he was going to be president next semester!"

"Yeah. And you just provided him with his sexual fantasy for the next few weeks."

"Cassie!"

"At least he was cute."

-

It was the way the words trailed into one another that alerted Blair to the fact that it was Chuck further along the hallway when they returned from the party. He wasn't alone, judging by girlish giggles she could hear too, and when she and Cassie turned the corner, there was blonde proof.

He turned around to face her as his key was in the door and Blair could only stand there staring as Cassie fumbled for their own key in her purse.

"You go inside." He instructed the blonde with his trademark smirk. "I'll be in in a minute."

Blair shook her head. "Gross."

Cassie took a look back at her two friends before receiving a nod from Blair that she was fine to go inside. When she shut the door, Blair only shook her head again.

"Well-timed."

"It's not like I knew you were coming back right now is it?"

"Wouldn't surprise me."

"So you think me bringing Anna back here is all about you? Don't be that self-absorbed Waldorf." Chuck snarled. "Wait, I forgot. That's all you are."

"I can't even be bothered to lie to you anymore Chuck." She shrugged. "If you're doing this to hurt me then it's working. If acting like you don't care is your way of getting back at me then fine. But don't rub it in my face."

"You want to talk about rubbing it in your face? How about the pictures posted all over Facebook of you on 4th July weekend. Clinking beer bottles a few weeks after you got rid of my child. Celebration maybe?"

"Hardly." She bit back. "But you know what, every reason I had for not having that baby was supported by Gossip Girl's posts of when you were in Manhattan."

Chuck only narrowed his eyes as he scanned the empty hallway. "Some last night."

"Yeah." She replied softly, turning the handle of her own dorm door to open it. "But at least someone's going out with a bang."

-

"How can you not tell him Blair?" Cassie asked quietly as the brunette closed the door behind her. "How can you let him say those things to you?"

She offered the smallest of smiles. "Because I love him. I want him to graduate and get the job he wants and have the life he deserves away from his father."

"But I thought all of this was because of Chuck's dad."

"He'd have cut him off and then there'd have been nothing; no money for his education, for my education, for anything for the baby. That's not fair."

"None of this is fair though." Cassie replied. "Not on you."

"You know what?"

"What?"

"If it was the other way around, he'd have done it for me."

"But-"

"So this is me giving him a chance." Blair put the chain across the lock and dimmed the lights for the last time. "Even if he doesn't know it."

"So what are you doing to do over summer?" Cassie asked as they shut their bedroom door to go to sleep for the last time that semester.

Blair yawned and placed her purse on the nightstand. "Break."

"Noun or verb?"

"Call or text me at least twice a week and it's noun." She laughed a little. "Less, and it's verb."

"You're not worried about Serena and Nate are you?"

"No." Blair shook her head. "I just need this summer to be boy-free, drama-free and-"

"Not Cassie-free." The blonde laughed.

"Exactly."

* * *


	28. Lacrossed Wires

**A/N- **Firstly, to **SaturnineSunshine, guardian izz, Cascia, xoxo - Amber, 23, anemptypaige,**** B Waldorf 23, griffyndorgrl aol, mystripedskirt, Brenda, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Edwardslover09, 89, al2010, annablake, JoJo.x, :D, laurien laurie **and** nostalgiakills **THANK YOU for reviewing last chapter.

Second: I think I confused some of you who thought last chapter (26) was the end. It wasn't - I'm continuing for a while yet (a good 10 or so chapters) before the sequel so I hope you're all still reading! :)

Third and finally: I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. You deserve better from moi and I'm really trying to get a new chapter out once a week so stick with me.

P.S. Hope you enjoy this :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 27: Lacrossed Wires

They'd been back at school for a couple weeks now, Blair and Cassie having settled happily into their new apartment on Elm Street, only minutes walk away from campus and, more importantly for Cassie, only a couple streets away from the Alpha Delta Phi house.

They saw the boys regularly – parties were thrown often and without cause and the girls were always on the word-of-mouth invitation list. It helped that Tyler Jonson, the blonde-haired, green-eyed captain of the lacrosse team, president of the fraternity _and_ student ambassador had taken a shine to Blair since the first time she'd met him at the end of semester party the previous academic year.

The large draw-back to the parties was, however, the amount of sorority girls that were there. Some, like the couple of girls from Kappa Kappa Gamma that were in Blair's classes were friendly enough, but the high concentration of Pi Phi bitches getting horrendously drunk off of tequila made some nights less than enjoyable.

Though it was only mid-September, the weather had been strangely cold for the time of year; cold enough for coats at least, much to everyone's chagrin except Blair's. The brunette had always loved winter, simply for the fact that she could wear ludicrously expensive coats and be cosy in them.

The boys much preferred the spring, especially when it came to lacrosse. Playing with gloves on to save their fingers from being numb was hardly ideal, and the indoor games during winter didn't really seem the same. They'd discovered a bonus however, in the form of the girls' after-game cooking.

Living in their frat house had already diminished what little skills they'd learned during freshman year, but Blair and Cassie had seemed to have stepped theirs up a notch, even having branched out to Nate's much-favoured pot roast and the occasional lasagne.

For Chuck only living a couple streets away from the rest of them, it seemed strange that the only time they ever really saw much of him (save from Blair who had the majority of her major classes in the same room) was at the frat parties. He'd not even spent longer than a week or so in the Hamptons during summer break, choosing instead to spend his time in the city, probably doing everything Blair expected of him and nothing more.

Her ex-boyfriend (if she could really call him that) hadn't even attended the White Party, usually a summer staple for Chuck. Even Dan and Vanessa had spent time lounging on the beach, mainly avoiding Serena, Blair figured.

"Are you coming to the game tonight?" Asher asked Blair and Cassie as he sat down beside Nate on the girls' couch, leaving no room for the two of them.

Cassie shrugged. "Sure."

"Blair?"

"It's cold though."

"So?"

"So I'd rather not catch pneumonia from watching a stupid lacrosse game."

Asher feigned shock and placed his hand on his chest. "That hurts me."

She rolled her eyes. "The truth usually does."

"You could bring hot chocolate." Nate suggested. "That'll keep you warm."

"Or you could just bring a coat." Asher muttered, resulting in Cassie giggling.

"Fine." Blair rolled her eyes. "If it means that much I'll come to your game."

"Oh, I couldn't care less if you came." Asher replied. "I'm just asking for Nate's sake."

"Thanks." The brunette murmured sarcastically.

"Like you said." He returned with an arched eyebrow. "Truth hurts."

"Okay enough." Nate chuckled. "Glad you're both coming. Now, can we focus here?"

Cassie rolled her eyes and sat herself in Asher's lap before handing him a bottle of beer. "I'm not sure it's right that you are using your girlfriend's apartment to watch America's Next Top Model reruns."

"Oh, it's right." Asher replied, taking a high-five from Nate, who took his on bottle of beer from Blair after.

"I'm also not sure you should be drinking before your game tonight."

"One isn't going to hurt." Nate replied. "Besides, watching this show without beer just isn't right."

"Well excuse me." Blair huffed. "But I actually have work to do."

"Fantasizing about you and Chuck Bass doing the dirty in an empty lecture theatre doesn't count as work." Asher called as the brunette exited for the library on campus, a slammed door her only response.

-

"Some weather we're having." A voice drawled in Blair's ear as she opened up the chapter of her book on statistics. "Your favourite." He continued. "If I remember correctly. Not too cold, yet cold enough for a coat."

"What do you want Chuck?" She sighed, snapping the book closed. "I'm trying to study."

"Statistics?" He cocked an eyebrow as he read the title of the textbook in front of her. "I highly doubt you need to brush up in that area."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Odds of snow before November this year: five to one." Chuck replied. "Odds of you buying a pair of shoes this weekend: three to one."

"Your-"

"Odds of Chuck Bass scoring the hottest girl at the after-game party tonight: fifty-thousand to one on." He smirked, trailing his index finger along the title of her book. "Safe bet."

Blair rolled her eyes at him. "You were never a safe bet."

"Didn't seem to deter you before."

"I learned my lesson."

Chuck shook his head, still a raised eyebrow. "Doubtful."

"Look Bass." She huffed. "I have work to do before the game tonight and you're getting in my way."

"You're going to the game tonight?"

"Problem?"

"So you'll be at the after-party?"

"Definitely."

"So I'll see you." He drawled, leaving her table behind.

She wasn't sure why, but she shouted the words "only if you're looking" after him, receiving not so much as a backwards glance from Chuck, yet fingers to lips from everyone else. He'd toy with her tonight, she knew that. She just wasn't sure how much.

-

"Okay SCSU totally suck but their uniforms are so cute." Cassie pouted to Blair as they stood on the sidelines cheering on Asher and Nate while clutching foam cups of steaming coffee.

"Cuter than Blair's outfit anyway." The girls heard a voice behind them. Cassie spun round to face a blonde cheerleader whose named they'd previously found to be Amanda. From what they'd gathered, she was a member of Pi Phi and had a huge thing for Nate, who, as per usual, either hadn't noticed or didn't seem to care. "I mean, what's with the red polo neck?" Amanda continued. "Yale's colour is blue."

On cue, the boys wandered over with grins larger than their kit bags, both dangling their sweaters from their hands.

"Here baby." Asher smiled, handing Cassie his sweater before offering a kiss to her lips. The blonde took it from him and pulled it over her own sweater as Nate gave his to Blair for her to pull on over the red polo neck.

She cocked an eyebrow at Amanda and her friend as she pulled Nate's team jersey over her head, smoothing it down over her own clothes. "Cute enough for you?" She asked the cheerleader who feigned vomiting before tutting and walking away.

"Everything alright?" Nate asked, frowning at the girl walking away.

Blair fake-smiled. "Just fine."

"Then what was all that about?"

"Nothing."

"She hates Blair because of you."

"What!?" Nate gasped. "What did I do?"

Asher laughed. "You just gave Blair your sweater to wear. Come on man, how blind can you be?"

They all laughed at Nate's confused expression before the girls pushed them back in the direction of the field. "Go play your game." Cassie said. "And make sure you win!"

-

The girls spent the next hour and a half cheering for the boys – especially Asher - who was doing an excellent job of making sure Yale won.

"My boyfriend is amazing!" Cassie shouted as Asher netted another point before receiving a high-five from Nate seconds before the final whistle blew.

"He actually is pretty good."

"Pretty good?" The blonde scoffed. "You're just blinded by your love for Nate because he. Is. Awesome!"

"I don't love Nate."

"Sure you don't."

Blair shook off her friend's comments as the boys came over grinning while the cheerleading team surrounded the other players. Nate looked her up and down, taking in her dishevelled hair and wind-swept features.

"What?"

"I know it's only a sweater and you've got a red nose because you're cold." He chuckled as she quickly pressed her equally cold hand over her nose to hide it. "But you still look absolutely adorable."

"Better than Amand-whore?"

He chuckled again. "Better than Amanda, yes. Better than all of these girls."

Cassie put her hands on her hips to feign annoyance as she pouted. "Hey!"

"Sorry Cass."

She shrugged. "Whatever. My boyfriend was the star player anyway, which makes me the star player's girlfriend. Beat that losers." She joked, holding up her right hand in the shape of an 'l' before jumping towards Asher. "Baby, you kicked ass out there."

"Thanks." Asher laughed a little, kissing the blonde on her forehead. "And speaking of kicking ass, you two did good in the cheering stakes."

"You heard us?"

"Cassie, the whole of New Haven probably heard you. You were louder than the whole cheerleading team put together."

She cocked an eyebrow at Blair with a smirk. "Perhaps we should try out."

Blair scoffed. "I really hope you're kidding."

Nate slung his arm over the brunette's shoulder. "Ditch the party and have after-game drinks at Scoozi?" He suggested. "Unless I overheard you two talking about a pot roast earlier…"

"You ate like two hours ago!"

"Yeah." Nate shrugged. "And then we played a very manly game of lacrosse and worked it all off. Now I need refuelling."

Blair rolled her eyes and Cassie smiled as Nate kept his arm around Blair and Asher locked the blonde's fingers with his. "Fine. There was probably going to be too much for us two anyway."

-

"That sweater really doesn't suit you Waldorf." Blair heard Tyler say in her ear as she and Cassie sat watching a poker game at a table in the back yard of the boys' frat house.

Blair whipped round with a raised eyebrow. "It's a Yale lacrosse sweater. How can it not suit me?"

"Because it's got 'Nate Archibald' emblazoned across the back."

Cassie grinned at the two of them before turning her attention back to the poker game.

"What are you suggesting?" Blair asked.

"Here." Tyler handed her his beer cup before taking off his own sweater to hand it to her. "This one might suit you a little better."

Blair held it up and read the back aloud. "Tyler Jonson."

He raised an eyebrow at her and Blair shook her head. "I'll stick with this one."

Then, just as the words had left her mouth, Blair was covered in beer as a result of Cassie's overexcitement (not to mention accidentally-on-purpose tactics) at one of the boys' suggestions of strip poker.

"Cassie!" Blair shrieked, jumping up from her seat to save her dress from suffering the same soggy fate as Nate's sweater. Tutting, she pulled the garment tentatively over her head, screwing up her nose as the stench of beer wafted across.

"I think you look better like this." Tyler grinned as Blair shivered in the cold air. "I just wish you were wearing a white t-shirt-"

"Just give me your damn sweater." Blair huffed, snatching the piece of clothing from the captain's hand. "For the president of this frat you're not very gentlemanly."

"That's because men like myself" Blair heard Chuck annunciate in her ear as she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Are a rare breed. I see I set an incomparable marker."

The brunette dropped her shoulder sharply so that Chuck's hand fell to his side, enabling her to pull Tyler's sweater over her head.

"Chuck." Tyler nodded, extending his hand.

"Mr Jonson." He nodded back, shaking his hand while wearing a smirk that made Blair feel decidedly uneasy; a feeling that was only worsened when Amanda snaked an arm around Chuck's waist as she pinpointed Blair with an icy glare.

"Chuck baby, I want you to come meet some of my sisters." she said, changing the focus of her glare to Tyler before leading Chuck away.

"What's with the hate vibes?" Blair asked as she looked between Tyler and Amanda, who was now walking with her back to the table.

"Oh you know." Tyler shrugged. "Just a relationship she's bitter about because it didn't work out."

"Oh."

"How about you and Chuck?"

She shrugged too. "Same I guess."

"You and Nate?"

"Are friends." Blair replied.

"With the potential for _a lot_ of benefits." Cassie muttered not-quite-quietly enough.

-

She was pouring a drink each for herself and Cassie when he approached the table, no sign of Amanda, yet signs that he'd drunk a fair amount of scotch judging by the way in which he was unable to walk in a straight line. He wasn't wobbly, yet Blair had a feeling Chuck wouldn't be attending their 10am seminar the following morning.

"I _never_ thought I'd see this."

"What do you want Chuck?" she sighed, screwing the cap back on the bottle of vodka she was holding.

"Firstly? For you to take that hideous creation off."

"My sweater?"

He shook his head. "Tyler's sweater."

Now Blair shook her head. "I'm cold."

"I'll lend you my jacket."

"No thanks."

"Hey Blair!" Tyler shouted over. "Are you playing?"

Chuck scoffed and Blair narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I'm coming."

Chuck shook his head.

"What?"

"Blair Waldorf doesn't play strip poker." he replied, fingering the thin material of her dress.

She smacked his hand away. "This one does."

"Why?" Chuck asked loudly. "So you can publicly whore yourself out to prove that you haven't lost anything?"

Blair shook her head and made her way back towards the table as Nate appeared beside Chuck. "Because when you arrived here I forgot that college is supposed to be fun. Now I've remembered."

"Bl-"

"No, you know what Chuck?" She called back. "Go screw Amanda. That's what you came here to do wasn't it?"

"I said the hottest girl." He replied.

"And?"

"And I'm looking at her."

"We're done Chuck." She sighed. "You said so yourself, so if this is some ploy to keep me away from Tyler or to mess with me then it's not going to work."

Sitting down at her seat, Blair picked up her cards and moments later, giggled, a little fakely, mainly just involuntarily as she had to swig her drink and remove an item of clothing. She and Cassie watched Nate's disgusted face as the brunette kept the sweater on, choosing instead to remove her navy stockings.

They watched Chuck follow only seconds later.

* * *


	29. Too Late

**A/N- **It's been ages again, I know, and I'm sorry. No excuses, just lack of time, but here we are with 28. 29 is already half-written :) To **Gaara-LOve, marieLONDON, ., sugarfusion, Amber - xoxo, annablake, 23, hopelessromantic44, al2010, laurienlaurie, JackieQ, flipped, PC, ggfan25, , BimboBoop, hya, victrolagg21, mystripedskirt, blair4eva, Blood Red Kiss of Death, :D, poptart :), Brenda, Heavenlydoll, Edwardslover09, KillerNewton, Rusty, sailor cyanide **and **dysenchanted2 **THANK YOU for being so awesome and reviewing. To **Holz **if you're reading this, shoot me a pm with that "non-kinky" proposition :P

Hope you guys enjoy this, though I feel some may hate me for it. Next chapter might change your mind though :)

xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 28: Too Late

"He's being weird." Cassie commented, munching her way through a bag of salted chips while spraying crumbs everywhere.

"Who is?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Nate."

"Is he?" Blair shrugged. "I hadn't noticed."

Cassie scoffed. "Yeah."

"What?"

"I've seen your face every time he drops by with Asher and then leaves without saying much to you."

"That's just my face."

"No." Cassie shook her head, dropping more crumbs as she shoved another chip into her mouth. "That's your disappointed face."

"You sound like a shrink." Blair muttered. "And not a very good one."

"What does he know?"

Blair sighed loudly, shutting her textbook and looking pointedly at her friend. "What does who know about what?"

"NATE!"

"Yes?" They heard a muffled voice question outside of their apartment door. Opening it to let him in, Cassie was faced with her boyfriend and a very-confused-looking Nate. "How'd you know I was here?"

"Erm…we heard footsteps?" She guessed, widening her eyes at Blair who simply stared her back. "Morning baby." She smiled at Asher. "Did you have fun during your bromance last night?"

Nate and Asher shut the door behind them and laughed. "We went to the movies. That was all."

"Yeah." Cassie replied. "_Together_."

"You didn't want to see the film!"

She shrugged and wiggled her eyebrows at Blair. "Just saying."

"Well since you asked, yes, we had fun."

"Did you go to a bar after?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

Both Blair and Cassie burst out laughing much to the bewilderment of the boys. "What?" Nate asked.

"You two are so gay."

"We're not!"

"Whatever." Blair rolled her eyes. "Now, can we help you, or did you just come for food?"

"You make it sound like we only have one motive." Asher replied, heading straight to the refrigerator.

"Well don't you?"

"Actually, I came to see my girlfriend." He smiled at Cassie before turning back to the fridge. "And while I'm doing that, I might as well eat something."

"Thought so."

"Well you'll have to hurry up because we're going shopping soon."

"Why?" Asher groaned. "Do we have to come?"

"No, you don't _have_ to come, but since you allegedly came here to spend time with me, I thought you'd want to come."

"What are you buying?"

"Dresses for the October Blues Ball."

"Does that mean I'll be able to come into the dressing rooms to give my opinion?"

Cassie smiled and nodded. "If I require it."

"I'm sure you will."

"Ewww guys, your sex talk is creeping me out!" Blair shuddered. "I am _not_ having the dressing room next to yours."

"Whatever." Cassie giggled and rolled her eyes. "You're quiet Nate. You coming?"

"Well…uh…maybe. I-"

"Oh for God's sake, just come!" Cassie returned. "You don't have anything better to do, do you?"

"No, I guess not."

"Right. You're coming then." She smiled, clapping her hands. "Coats people!"

"I haven't even made my sandwich yet." Asher replied.

"Your sandwich?" Cassie asked. "Or me in lingerie."

"Gross." Blair murmured as she put on her coat and Asher slammed the refrigerator shut.

-

"What the hell is up with you man?" Asher asked Nate as they got back to the frat house.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, hardly speaking to Blair today. Or any day in the past two weeks come to think of it. Bit cold, don't you think?"

"Cold?"

"You didn't even say she looked nice in any of the dresses she tried on today."

"I didn't?" He frowned. "Shit. I guess I was just busy thinking."

"About what?"

"You know, the girls are right. These kind of talks _do_ make us sound really gay."

"What's going on with you and Blair?" Asher asked again. "Seriously."

"Seriously? I'm trying to work out how to ask her to the ball."

"Shit man." He grinned. "I thought you were still just being a bitch about the after-game party."

"Do you think I should ask her, or just like, talk to her once we're there?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think she'd say yes?"

"I don't know."

"Well is there anything you _do_ know?"

"I know that you should stop being a pussy and just ask her."

"What if she says no?"

"Then you're in the same position as you are now so you might as well just ask."

"How come you weren't like this when you and Cassie broke up?"

Asher shrugged. "Because that involved me."

Nate nodded. "Good point."

"So you'll ask her?"

"I guess, yeah. I'll ask her."

-

Cassie and Blair were cooking dinner when they heard a light knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Cassie told the brunette who seemed rather perplexed by the ingredients in a jar of pasta sauce. "You know, you guys might as well just have keys….oh." She trailed off after the door revealed a well-groomed Tyler Jonson.

"Is Blair here?"

"At the stove." She pointed in the direction of their tiny kitchen area before closing the door behind him, wildly raising her eyebrows at her friend.

"Well well, I never took Blair Waldorf for a Betty Crocker type."

"That's because I'm not." The brunette replied simply, holding up the jar in her left hand. "See? Ready-made."

"Ah." Tyler laughed. "Then yes, I'd love to stay for dinner. Thanks for offering."

The girls stared at him open-mouthed until they remembered to close them respectively. "I didn't." Blair replied with an arched eyebrow.

"Maybe not in so many words. But it would be rude not to invite me now, wouldn't it?"

"Actually, you can have my share." Cassie interjected. "I was going to see Asher anyway."

"_After_ dinner." Blair replied.

She shrugged. "I'll eat there."

"Well that's sorted then." Tyler smiled. "Need a hand?"

"I've got it."

"I meant in making a proper sauce."

"This _is_ a proper sauce." Blair replied indignantly, shoving the jar towards him with her finger by the label. "See? Caramelised onion and red pepper sauce."

"It's rubbish."

"It's a sauce. Who cares?"

"You're eating it aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Then _you_ should care. And now that I'm going to be eating it, _I _care."

"How do you know it's rubbish?"

"All ready-made stuff is crap. Clearly you haven't experienced decent food."

Cassie made her getaway as Blair scoffed. "I live on the Upper East Side. Decent food is everywhere."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Name the last time you ate something that was so delicious you ate every last bit."

That was a struggle, and not because Blair hadn't enjoyed food. Just…she didn't eat it all. Eleanor had always instilled that it was lady-like to leave some food on the dinner plate. Back then, it would have been harder to eat everything than eat nothing at all.

"See?" Asher smirked. "You can't remember."

"What makes you so confident in the kitchen anyway?"

"My father owns the best restaurant in America."

"Says who?"

"Me."

"Well then I guess since you're such a respected critic I should believe you." Blair replied flatly, rolling her eyes.

"You don't believe I can cook you something that's better than the crap in that jar?"

"I _know_ you can't cook better than whatever deli made this."

"Well then Miss Waldorf, prepare to eat your words." Tyler replied. "And my pasta."

-

"Where's Nate?" Cassie asked Asher as he met her at the door. Usually the boys weren't far away from each other, and considering she hadn't spied him in the garden or on the streets between her apartment and the frat house, the blonde had assumed he'd gone elsewhere.

"Taking a walk."

"A walk?"

"Yeah."

"On his own?"

"Yeah."

"In the cold and the dark?"

"He's thinking."

"About what?"

"About how to ask Blair to the October Blues Ball."

"Oh." Cassie replied, biting her lip. "But he's not going over there to ask her tonight is he?"

"Erm, I think so, why?"

"Shit."

"What?"

"Tyler's over there."

"In your apartment?" Asher asked.

"Yeah. He's staying for dinner."

"She invited him over for dinner?"

"Not exactly." Cassie replied. "He just kinda…invited himself." She waved it away. "It's okay, he's having my share."

"Okay? Cass, Nate's going over there to ask Blair out and he's going to find her being fed off of Tyler's fork like in those stupid movies you guys watch."

"Really? You think they're feeding each other?" The blonde shook her head, laughing a little. "I can't see Blair going for that somehow."

"Well whatever, we need to stop him going over there."

"We're not interrupting. It's got nothing to do with us! And I'm hungry. Are you making dinner or what?"

"Fine. But when I'm sporting a black eye tomorrow because Nate's punched me, I'm blaming you."

"Why would Nate punch you?"

"Because I told him to stop being a pussy and just ask Blair to the ball."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

-

"Okay fine." Blair rolled her eyes. "I'll admit, it was amazing."

"The best you ever had."

She rolled her eyes again and laughed a little. "The best I ever had."

"I told you the stuff from the jar was crap." Tyler smirked. "You ever eaten that much pasta before?"

She shook her head. "Never."

"Me neither."

Blair sighed, placing the wooden spoon on the counter by the side of the used pan. "Why are you here Tyler?" She asked. "Because it wasn't for pasta."

"It might have been."

She gave him a look that told him to be serious. "You didn't even know I was having pasta."

"No you're right. Word at the frat is that you and Cassie cook up some pretty good pot roasts. I was hoping for that."

"Disappointed?"

He shook his head. "I still got to spend time with you."

Blair dipped her head a little and blushed, moving the pan to the sink.

"I came." He told her. "Because I wanted to ask you if you'd do me the honour of accompanying me to the October Blues Ball."

"I…um…" She trailed off, glancing towards the apartment door where there was a knock on the other side. "I'll just get that." Blair pointed towards the door, swallowing hard when she saw Nate at the other side.

"Mmm." He smiled, sniffing the air as he walked past her to get into to the warmth. "Something smells good…oh." He frowned slightly at the sight of Tyler in his ex-girlfriend's kitchen. "Hey man."

"Nate." Tyler nodded with a smile. "You're a little too late to sample my famous caramelised pepper sauce I'm afraid."

"Oh, you've been cooking?" He asked. "In Blair's apartment."

"She was under the illusion that her jar of pasta sauce would be better than homemade. Someone had to prove her wrong."

"I told you it was good." The brunette rolled her eyes. "You can stop gloating now."

"You think this is gloating?" Tyler replied. "Wait until we get to the ball. I'm going to tell _everyone _you said it was the best you'd ever had."

"You guys are going to the ball together?" Nate asked, jamming his hands deep into his jeans pockets.

"Yes." Tyler nodded.

Nate looked at Blair, who answered back with a small smile and a shrug of her shoulders. "I guess so."

"Cool." He nodded unconvincingly.

"Did you come for something specific?" Blair asked.

"Yeah actually." He looked between the brunette and his blonde president. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"Well I'll leave you guys to it." Tyler smiled. "Unless you want a hand with the washing up?"

"No thanks." Blair replied. "Cassie'll help when she gets back. For such a klutz she's a very compulsive tidier."

Tyler laughed and took his coat from the back of the couch. "I'll call you." He said before nodding at Nate. "See you later man."

-

"What happened?" Asher asked Nate as he handed him a bottle of beer, keeping one eye on his friend and one firmly on the tv as another re-run of America's Next Top Model graced the screen.

"I was too late." Nate shrugged, emptying half the bottle in one fell swoop.

"Oh."

"Tyler was there."

"Oh."

"And he'd cooked her dinner."

"Shit-"

"And then asked her to the ball."

"I'm sorry man."

"I guess this is my punishment for high school." Nate half-laughed. "I shouldn't have been such a dick to her back then."

"At least you realise it." Asher justified.

"Too late." He mumbled into his bottle. "Always too-fucking-late. First with Chuck, now Tyler."

"Blair and Tyler won't amount to anything." Asher shrugged. "Just wait it out."

"They're going to be all over each other at matches aren't they?"

"I don't know." He replied before frowning. "Nate, I know you're upset but the fact that the couch is vibrating is freaking me out."

"It's my phone." He said, shooting his friend a glare before frowning himself. "It's Chuck."

"Well answer it!"

"Hello?"

Asher watched as Nate nodded, said 'uh huh' a couple times and then cracked a small smile before hanging up.

"He said there's a party."

"Where?"

"Some club downtown. He's sending a car."

* * *


	30. October Blues

**A/N- **I'm sooooooo sorry guys! You probably hate me for not updating (either that or you're given up reading this) but I've had good reason in that I've been quite ill lately :( Hopefully have recovered now, so here's number 29, and hopefully 30 will follow nexy week :)

Huge thanks to **luvs2shop721, d_b, yadin, JYLlian, Edwardslover09, xoxo - Amber, Sierra, sailor cyanide, Gaara-LOve, addisonkarev, laurienlaurie, teddy bear, CalGrl93, flipped, , Noelle, IceQueen, :D, Dkmm1999, SmearedLipGloss, , HopelessRomantic44, rusty, Blood Red Kiss of Death, brenda, Heavenlydoll, , mystripedskirt, Jenny345, annablake, **and** dysenchanted2 **for being such awesome reviewers. Hope you're all still around :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 29: October Blues

"I feel like you're my pimp." Asher moaned in the back of the black car as Chuck handed him and Nate a glass of bourbon each.

Chuck downed his own drink before pouring another. "That." He stared at the brown liquid before tipping the glass against his lips. "Would be disgusting."

"I wholly agree." Asher nodded. "But you've picked us up in a highly conspicuous car and you're now plying us with alcohol."

"You're experiencing something different tonight gentlemen."

"It feels like we're on our way to Victrola." Nate mused.

Asher frowned. "Victrola?"

"Chuck's burlesque club in Manhattan."

"Shit!" Asher laughed. "You've got your own strip club."

Chuck finished the rest of his drink. "Burlesque."

"Burlesque. Right."

"Where are we going?"

"A party." He replied. "I told you."

"What kind of party?"

Chuck smirked, glancing out of the window into the dark October night. "You'll see."

-

"So what happened with Tyler?" Cassie asked Blair as the two tried in vain to focus on studying.

She shrugged. "Nothing much."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Yes."

"Well I don't."

"Then you're going to be disappointed."

Cassie pouted and slammed her book shut. "I'm bored."

"We're supposed to be studying."

"Which is boring."

"But necessary."

"You're not being fun."

"And you're not being fair. I have an assignment to do."

"It's not my fault you spent your time with Tyler frolicking over the delights of pasta instead of learning about statistics or whatever it is you learn about."

"We weren't frolicking."

"But you wanted to?"

"Cassie stop!" Blair huffed. "Can't you go and harass your boyfriend or something?"

The blonde shook her head. "No can do. He's gone out with Nate."

"Again?"

Cassie laughed a little. "I know. Seriously, if Asher didn't love me and Nate didn't love you I swear they'd be gay."

"What?"

"_I swear they'd be gay!"_

"No I meant…" Blair trailed off, shaking her head as she shut her book. "Never mind."

"Yay." The blonde clapped her hands. "No more studying? Can we do something fun?"

"Like?"

"Popcorn and pedicures?"

Blair considered. "Where are the boys?"

"I don't know." Cassie shrugged. "Some bar or club downtown. I didn't really understand Asher's text. I think they'd already been drinking."

-

"Dude, I hate to sound whipped but you _cannot_ tell Cassie about this!" Asher leaned in to Nate as they were handed another drink each from a tray held by a girl wearing only stockings and a tight 50's style playsuit, hot pant bottoms skimming the curve of her buttocks.

"This place is all about discretion." Chuck drawled in Asher's left ear as they watched from their arm chairs as a man a couple years older than the three of them was led behind a dark panel by a woman with dark red hair. "They" he gestured to the women around them "aren't going to tell anyone. And neither are we."

"So this place is illegal?" Asher asked.

Chuck shrugged. "Depends whose laws you live by."

Nate frowned and leant forward in his seat. "And whose laws do you live by?"

He shrugged again. "Mine."

-

"We haven't done this in ages." Cassie smiled as she stroked her nail polish brush across her toes.

"We hang out all the time." Blair replied. "Just not with masks on our faces, and if I was going to have a pedicure back in New York, it would be in the salon and spa in Saks, not on a couch."

"It's more fun this way though." The blonde grinned. "And we can talk without people listening."

"About what?"

"Boys."

"Okay." Blair shrugged. "How are you and Asher? Still sweet enough to make me vomit?"

"We're good." Cassie replied. "How are you and Nate? Still denying your feelings enough to make me want to punch you? Or you and Tyler? Still flirting up a storm? Or you and Chuck? Still pretending that you couldn't ever have a normal relationship?"

"Okay one, there's nothing between Nate and I to deny."

Cassie raised her eyebrows and carried on painting.

"Two, Tyler and I do not flirt. _He_ may flirt with _me_, but I do not do it back. Flirting is a sign of promiscuity."

"And three?"

"There's no pretending. Have you met Chuck Bass? He couldn't have a normal relationship with anybody."

Cassie laughed and rolled her eyes. "I love our little romance catch-ups."

"There's nothing to catch up on!" Blair demanded, throwing one of the scatter cushions from the couch against her friend's face, knocking the polish brush across her skin.

"A pillow fight, really?"

Blair simply cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh Waldorf, it is on!"

-

"Yo Nate, maybe you should take it a little easier." Asher told his friend as he sank another scotch.

"Why?"

"Because you don't even like scotch. And because your eyes are starting to resemble a rabbit caught in headlights."

"I never get drunk anymore." Nate slurred.

"So what? You're taking this opportunity to prove that you can?"

"Maybe." He shrugged. "Or maybe I'm just doing it because I want to."

Asher watched as he signalled to a woman who appeared to be a waitress moonlighting as a stripper to bring them a round of absinthe.

"Absinthe?" He asked. "Really?"

"Really." Nate replied. "And you're only this sober because you're worried about what Cassie's going to say tomorrow."

"Damn right I am. And if you were with Blair, you know you'd be the same."

"This isn't about Blair."

"Do those girls need to be brought into _everything_?" Chuck slurred from the armchair next door. "Forget about your women and take in the scenery gentlemen."

"Scenery?" Asher questioned.

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Girls. In ludicrously small lingerie."

Nate put down his empty glass. "I'm going to the bar."

"Nathaniel, that's not how it works. They come – excuse the pun – to you."

Nate shook his head and left for the bar anyway.

-

"Urgh, why is there always someone at our door?" Cassie huffed, fighting off Blair's flying pillow as she opened their door to reveal a bemused Tyler.

"I can leave." He offered.

"Why do you keep showing up here?" Blair asked, joining her friend at the door. "Don't you know it's rude to keep showing up uninvited?"

"Well if you would take the hints I've been dropping, I wouldn't have to keep turning up unannounced."

"What hints?"

"That I want to go out with you. I want to take you to places while you're wearing those ridiculous outfits of yours. I want to wake up and see you sleeping next to me wearing…" he gestured to her silk pyjamas "that. And most of all, I want to come out onto the sports field and see you wearing my sweater. And if you'd actually taken all the hints I've dropped since I met you at that frat party, I wouldn't have had to just make this really cheesy speech in front of Cassie, who, if I'm correct, is definitely going to tell everyone she knows tomorrow."

The blonde nodded and grinned as she stepped back to allow the two some space of their own.

"You like my clothes?"

"I love your clothes."

"My headbands?"

"Are adorable."

"I was going for distinctive."

"That too." Tyler grinned. "So if I was to ask you to dinner tomorrow night-"

"She'd say yes!" Shouted Cassie from the couch.

Blair rolled her eyes. "She gets excited about these kind of things."

"Yeah, I'm kinda sad like that." The blonde returned.

Blair turned to her friend. "Cass, you can be quiet now."

"Okay."

"She says you'd say yes." Tyler smiled. "Is she right?"

She nodded, fiddling with the hem of her top. "Yes."

"Then I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight."

He didn't wait for clarification, just waved bye and closed the door behind him as the girls watched, their mouths slightly open in confusion.

"I can't believe he just did that." Blair said.

Cassie simply smirked. "I like his style."

-

"If that's Asher drunk dialling, tell him I'm going to rip his fingers off as well as Chuck's so they can't type in our numbers next time." Blair mumbled, pulling her pillow over her head to block out the ringing from Cassie's cell. "Are they not aware that people are sleeping at three in the morning?"

She attempted to return straight to sleep, but Cassie's voice sounded panicked.

"It's Nate." The blonde gulped, her blue eyes wild, huge as Blair jumped out of bed, her heart hammering in her chest. "Something's happened."

"What? What's happened?" she demanded.

Cassie slammed her cell shut. "I don't know. Asher just said we have to get to the hospital."

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	31. The Repercussions

**A/N- **To **Gaara-LOve, Elli, Addisonkarev, JYLlian, laurienlaurie, mystripedskirt, Calgrl93, teddy bear, JackieQ, .days, dkmm, Bethany, Ulrikke, Edwardslover09, Sarah, Blood Red Kiss of Death, HnM skinnys, KillerNewton, finnlover, Brenda, KAKS, sailor cyanide, GGlover-1, xoxo - Amber, h, flipped, Jenny345 **I owe you guys a massive thank you for being lovely reviewers :) On with 30...

Oh, and for some reason, ff won't let me but the 'Five Doors Down' title in the centre of the page.

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 30: The Repercussions

They hadn't bothered with clothes. For the first time in her life, Blair was wearing pyjamas, a coat and ugg boots courtesy of Cassie, in public. Of course she wouldn't own such boots, and after arriving at the hospital and having been calmed down by a nurse, she'd begun to feel a little self-conscious.

Their hair hadn't been brushed, no lipstick applied, no mascara-coated eyelashes on show, only polished nails from the night's mani/pedi session and a headband apiece to keep their bangs away from their eyes.

"He's having his stomach pumped." The nurse told Blair as she demanded to see Nate. "Once he's comfortable in a suite, you'll be able to visit. Why don't you girls grab a coffee from the machine and take a seat in the waiting room?"

They went silently, blinking in the harsh lighting as Asher rounded the corner and scooped the pair of them in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Cassie cried into his chest, stroking his hair.

"I'm fine. What about you guys? We tried to get hold of you – Chuck tried but it went straight to voicemail."

"I know, I…I didn't know it was this. I thought he was just…being Chuck." Blair replied softly. "I'm so sorry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry about." Asher soothed. "Come on, it'll be a bit before we're allowed to see him. I'll get you coffee."

"Where's Chuck?" Blair asked. "Is he okay?"

"Chuck's fine. He…oh" Asher stopped as the boy in question rounded the corner clutching two cups of coffee: one for him, the other most probably for blonde girl…or…woman…next to him.

"Present." He nodded, raising his left hand. "We'll be in here." He indicated the waiting room before closing the door behind him.

"How long have you guys been here?" Cassie asked Asher as they walked in the direction of the drinks dispenser.

"About an hour."

"And Chuck's picked up a girl already?"

"Don't you remember?" Blair asked sarcastically. "Every minute spent _not_ picking up girls is a minute wasted in Chuck's mind."

"Well since I've known him, he's spent most of his time obsessed with you." Cassie replied. "So not really."

"How about we just get coffee and then talk about what happened?" Asher suggested. "It's not what you think."

The brunette nodded and huffed towards the drinks machine, her feet slouching in Cassie's uggs.

-

She didn't waste time on introductions nor pleasantries once they were inside the four walls of the hospital's waiting room, simply cutting straight to learning of the night's events.

"Who's the ho?" Blair asked Chuck, who, aside from sipping at the plastic cup he was holding every now and then, was attempting to act like he was reading a magazine as his ex-girlfriend shot daggers at his female accomplice.

"I'm standing right here!" The blonde returned, flipping her hair from out of her face.

"And?"

"And you could be a bit more polite."

"What's she doing here?" Blair asked Chuck, completely ignoring the semi-naked girl stood beside her former boyfriend.

"She was with us when the limo came."

"You mean ambulance."

"No. I mean limo."

"You didn't call him an ambulance?" She fumed, taking the magazine from his hands before slamming it down on the coffee table. "Why the hell not?"

"The place we were at…well we needed to be discreet."

"About Nate almost dying!?"

"About the club."

"So your best friend has alcohol poisoning because _you_ took him to a sleazy club in order to live out one of _your_ stupid fantasies, and you're worried about being discreet?!"

"It wasn't just me that would've-"

"I was right." Blair shrugged, her voice dropping. "In New York, I was right when I... You're not responsible, you can't be responsible for anything."

"_That_ has got nothing to do with this!" Chuck returned loudly.

"You think?" She snorted, opening the door to leave. "This is my proof that I did the best thing by getting out while I could."

"You're a bitch!" he replied coldly as she looked him up and down one last time.

Her tone was colder still. "And your father was right."

Her body sank against the wall as soon as she was away from the waiting room and around the corner, her mouth crumpling, hair tumbling over her face as her shaky fingers tried to bat the tears away.

-

"You didn't tell me you were going to a strip club." Cassie mumbled to Asher, who was sitting dazed, staring at the blank wall ahead of him.

"It wasn't a strip club." He replied together with Chuck, who then found himself on the receiving end of one of Cassie's terribly disapproving looks.

"She looks naked enough." She nodded in the direction of the woman next to Chuck. "What's she doing here anyway?"

"She knew first aid." Asher told her.

The girl in question simply stared ahead silently, fiddling with the ends of her hair.

"She found Nate passed out, called us." Chuck said quietly. "When he started choking she cleared his throat."

"I had to learn first aid when I worked at a restaurant." The blonde added, shrugging. "I just used what I knew."

"What's your name?"

"Zora."

"What's your real name?" Cassie asked again.

"Renae."

"Well thank you." It was Cassie's turn to shrug as her voice softened. "For saving Nate. For doing what you did."

"It's okay."

"She'd be grateful." She continued. "Blair. If she knew. But she'd never give you a chance to explain." She laughed a little guiltily. "So I'll tell her."

"Yeah, I should maybe go." Renae suggested. "I didn't tell the other girls, I just…went. I should get back to work."

"You know, there are better ways of earning money." Cassie said gently.

The other blonde scowled as she got up to leave. "I like my job."

"Oh. I didn't mean-"

"Yeah well you did." She spat. "And tell your friend that people who can't handle alcohol respectfully don't get a second chance in The Room."

The door slammed behind Renae, leaving the remaining three sitting in silence, none making any attempt to find Blair, instead, focussing on the ticking of the clock on the wall, and the heels of the receptionists clacking on the hard floor.

-

"Nathaniel my man." Chuck smirked. "I believe you've taken excessive drinking to a new, much higher level." He placed his hands on his chest. "You've surpassed my expectations and I'm impressed."

"Um-"

"I'm not." Interrupted Cassie. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Cass." Asher told her gently. "He's just woken up, give him a break."

"This _is _a break compared to what Blair's going to do to him when she gets here."

"Where is she?" Nate asked croakily.

"I don't know." The blonde admitted. "She was upset and I think she wanted to be left alone. Apparently she hates-"

"Hospitals." Nate nodded. "Shit-"

"She'll be around somewhere." Cassie replied. "I think she's calming herself down. Let's just say Chuck's not in her good books."

"Although he never really is so I guess it's no change from normal." Asher added with a grin, making Nate smile a little.

"I'm sorry guys." He dipped his head. "I feel stupid. And it's not your fault Chuck."

"I know." He shrugged, blazé. "You know Waldorf, she loves nothing better than to blame me for everything."

"Why'd you do it?" Cassie switched her focus.

Nate shrugged. "To have a good time. Because I wanted to."

"It doesn't matter now." Asher said. "You're okay? I mean…" he raised an eyebrow and Nate nodded. "You're okay."

"I just feel like I've got the worst hangover in the world." He replied and they all laughed. "Would you mind if I just went to sleep?"

"Already leaving." Chuck smiled a little. "There's a packet of asprin in my room with my name on it."

"Guys." Nate called hoarsely as Asher was closing the door. "Thanks for coming."

His friend simply nodded and closed the door.

-

"Alcohol poisoning?" Blair screeched, waking him up as she slammed her hands on his bed, jolting his body. "What the hell were you thinking Nate?"

"I-"

"I've never felt so sick in my entire life! I thought…" she trailed off, flinging herself against the bed again, against him until his arms met her back and she could hear his heartbeat. "I don't know what I thought. I hate you for this Nate Archibald!"

"I was stupid." He admitted. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to get out of bed and come here-"

"I don't care about getting out of bed!" She shouted. "I care about you, you stupid idiot."

Nate laughed a little and then grimaced as his throat tightened in pain. "Come here." He shifted his weight to the far edge of the bed so that she could sit more comfortably next to him. "I'm sorry."

She nodded and tried to blink back tears that seemed to have come from nowhere. "You'd better be. Look at me!"

He looked at her appearance – dishevelled, wide-eyed, pyjama-clad and chuckled. "I'm sorry that you're wearing pyjamas in a public place."

She laughed through her tears and pointed to her feet. "And uggs."

"Very stylish."

"They're Cassie's."

"I thought so."

"You know what type of boots I wear?" Blair asked.

"No." Nate shook his head. "But I know the type you _don't_."

"And what type is that?"

"Ugly ones."

"You're calling Cassie's boots ugly?"

"Know know what?" Nate asked. "Guys _hate_ ugg boots. Ask Asher. Maybe you should tell Cassie."

"You're telling me to tell my best friend that her boyfriend thinks her boots are ugly?"

"You'd have told Serena."

"That's different."

"Is everything okay between you two?"

"Me and Cassie?"

"You and Serena."

"Of course. Why?"

"You never mention her." He replied.

Blair shrugged. "I don't see her to know what's going on in her life."

"Do you miss her?"

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"Yeah sometimes. I've got Cassie and right now, I don't _need_ Serena. I'd be nice to hear from her more or see her more." She shrugged. "But she's in California and we're here and that's how it's going to be until we graduate and go home."

"You think we'll all go back to Manhattan?"

"Of course."

"But-"

"Nate, we've got families, legacies in Manhattan. And we might not want to, but we'll go back. We all will. You know that."

Their conversation was interrupted by Blair's vibrating cell: Tyler.

"Yeah he's okay." She said into the receiver. "I'm with him now."

'Tyler' she spelled out silently to him with her mouth.

"Yeah I'll tell him. And eight is still fine. You'd better not be taking me to a steakhouse…because my dresses are more expensive than the entire menu in those kind of places."

She laughed and Nate swallowed forcefully.

"Eight o'clock." She repeated. "Bye."

"He says you'd better be okay for lacrosse next week because there's a big after party at your frat."

Nate nodded. "What did you mean about the steakhouse?"

"We're going out for dinner tonight and he said he was taking me to one of his favourite places in New Haven. I said it'd better not be a steakhouse."

"You're going out with Tyler tonight?"

"Yeah, I mean, you'll be out of here by this afternoon at the latest right?"

He nodded. "Right."

"And if they _do_ keep you in overnight again, I'll cancel. Can't have you getting lonely in a hospital room." She smiled and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe properly.

"I wish I'd have been better when you were in hospital." Nate started. "I should've-"

"We didn't have that kind of a relationship." Blair smiled sadly. "But it would've been nice."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

He was more sorry than she'd ever know. Because the repercussions of everything he did to her, or_ didn't_ do for her in high school had brought them to this. And as she settled against him again with her eyes closed and her fingers toying with the hem of the sheets, Nate realised she'd be better off without any of them – him, Chuck, Tyler most probably.

"Urgh." She tutted, just as he was falling asleep again.

"What?"

"The thread count of these sheets is appalling."

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	32. Masquerades

**A/N: **Massive thank yous to **SmearedLipGloss, poochbello, Krazy4Spike, .x, voldemort14, Gaara-LOve, addisonkarev, mystripedskirt, JYLlian, Brenda, sasha-yl27, CalGrl93, BimboBoop, Blood Red Kiss of Death, xoxogg4lifexoxo, Edwardslover09, HnM skinnys, Lisa, marieLONDON, xoxo - Amber, flirtt., ggxoxo, Maddie, :D, Alison, Trix, sugarfusion, yourallieverwanted, flipped, annablake, Bethany, M, laurienlaurie **and** steph.k. **for making me very very happy by reviewing :) You guys are awesome and keep me going with your demands for more B/N or more B/C and just more in general :)

I had quite a bit of trouble with this chapter because I couldn't get it to flow how I wanted, but it's done now. I apologise immenselyfor the horrendous titles of some of these chapters. If anyone ever has any titles but no story, GIVE THEM TO ME!!!! lol. Enjoy :)**

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 31: Masquerades

"What do you think?" Cassie asked Asher and Blair, twirling around with the white mask shielding her face, sequins and feathers tickling her skin.

"I think that if someone else has that same mask tomorrow night, I might end up getting myself into a lot of accidental trouble."

"Blair?"

"I can't see your face." The brunette replied.

The blonde frowned and took off the mask. "It's a masquerade ball. You're not supposed to be able to see my face!"

"I'm worried." Asher returned. "What if I can't tell it's you?"

"Well we've only been dating for like a year but whatever." Cassie huffed, rolling her eyes. "Wait here."

"What're you doing?"

"Showing you my dress since, apparently, you don't know what my face looks like."

Cassie closed her bedroom door behind her, leaving a confused Asher and Blair on the couch in the living room.

"Why is she showing me…oh." He trailed off as the blonde opened the door once again.

"So if you can't find me by face-"

"He can find you by boobs?" Blair finished. "Cass, you don't have a neck, it's just cleavage and then face…which I guess will be covered by a mask anyway, so-"

"Just cleavage." Asher smiled. "Nice."

"You realise that that's just made you sound like the biggest ass ever?" Blair asked.

"Ever?" He questioned. "Have you forgotten about Chuck?"

"Okay, second biggest ass ever."

He shrugged. "I can deal with that if I get that" he nodded towards Cassie "at the end of the night."

Blair screwed up her nose as the pair kissed, her disgust turning to relief as Nate came through the door clutching a brown bag.

"You know what this reminds me of?" She asked him as he eyed his best friend and his girlfriend. "Serena and Humphrey. Nobody needs reminding of that. It's like vomit fest 2010."

Nate laughed as Asher and Cassie turned towards Blair and raised their eyebrows before kissing again.

"What's in the bag Archibald?"

"Pastries."

"You went to the bakery?"

"Well you and Cass seemed to have stopped going and I've wanted a maple pecan plait for ages."

"Do you realise how gay that just made you sound?"

"No, and I'd rather not know so could you just get me some plates before I eat it right here and get crumbs on the floor?"

-

"You look amazing." Tyler smiled as Blair twirled around in his doorway.

"Thank you."

"And I got you this." He handed her a box wrapped in gold paper. "I know they're meant for prom." Tyler continued as she unwrapped the gift. "But when you told me your dress was gold, I saw this and thought it would match."

"It's gorgeous." She smiled, kissing him before placing the corsage on her wrist. "Thank you."

They sat on his bed in silence for a few slightly awkward seconds until Tyler suggested they join a few other frat members in their girlfriends downstairs.

"I presume Asher and Nate will be here." He told her as they walked down the huge staircase. "Can I get you anything to drink? I got some of that rosé wine you like."

"I'll take a glass of that." She nodded, joining her blonde friend in the living room.

"Looking hot Waldorf." Cassie giggled. "Not as hot as me, but still-"

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Where's Nate?"

"I don't know." Asher shrugged. "He said he would meet us down here but he's been getting ready for like two hours. Even Cassie didn't take that long."

"Hey!"

"That was a compliment!" Asher defended. "Kind of."

"Well maybe I'll go see if he's ready." Blair decided. "If Tyler comes back here, tell him I'll be down in a minute."

-

"I'm getting changed." Nate called as Blair knocked at the door.

"It's me."

"Blair?" He opened the door fully-clothed prompting narrowed eyes from the brunette who marched in and opened his drawers.

"You're not getting changed. You're fully-clothed."

"I thought it was one of the guys from downstairs." He frowned as she scoured his drawers, tutting at the lack of organisation. "What are you looking for?"

"A better tie than the one you're wearing. It's hideous."

"Gee thanks."

"You're welcome." Blair replied matter-of-factly. "There it is."

"What's wrong with the one I'm wearing?"

"It's yellow."

"I was going for opulence. You know, to go with the masquerade theme."

"Yeah…it's screaming canary. It looks like something Chuck would wear."

"He bought me it for Christmas last year."

"That explains it. Here." She handed him a tie in the same shade of cream as the shirt he was wearing.

"Better?" Nate asked, smoothing his chest in the mirror.

Blair smiled and smoothed down the knot for him. "Much."

"You look amazing by the way."

She smiled again. "Thanks. You should see Cassie."

"I have." He raised his eyebrows and they both laughed. "Or I've seen a certain part of her."

"She looks pretty hot though."

"Nate nodded. "Definitely."

"So are you coming downstairs? I'm pretty sure I heard Sam West suggesting we play girls versus guys drinking games." She made her voice sweeter. "There might be beer pong."

-

It was almost reminiscent of junior year at Constance: the lights were similar, the noise level was the same, there were feathers, sequins, lace, velvet and the huge dance hall was filled with students hidden behind masks.

She figured she'd spot Cassie pretty easily as long as her breasts stayed pushed up to her chin, Nate and Asher would never be far away from her and Tyler seemed to be doing a pretty good job of staying within ten metres of her so that they wouldn't all lose each other.

It missed the point, Tyler had pointed out, that they were all trying to memorise what the other looked like, but Blair had insisted that masquerades were a breeding ground for confusion and consequences, and so they'd all agreed to keep pretty near.

"So which one of these hoes is yours?" Blair asked Chuck as she joined him by the bar.

"I haven't decided yet." He smirked. "My initial thought was Naomi." He nodded to a blonde girl with dark eyes dressed in black lace, somewhat reminiscent to Jenny Humphrey circa 2008. "But I think I'm swaying more towards Francesca." Chuck indicated the raven-haired girl in red next to Naomi. "She's Italian."

Blair swallowed a large amount of the wine she was holding. "Good for her."

"No clues tonight?" Chuck drawled between sips of scotch.

"Tyler doesn't need clues to find me."

Chuck nodded. "That makes two of us. You look…" He let his eyes trail along the top of the sweetheart neckline and down the side seams stitched with gold.

"I know." She smirked. "Thanks."

"And me?" He asked, removing the ridiculous devil-esque mask he'd insisted on wearing

"I prefer you without your mask."

"And I prefer you without yours but since I've come here I don't think I've seen you without it."

She shook her head. "You see me without it every day. This-" Blair indicated her corseted mid-section, her lace, her whole radiance "is me."

Chuck shook his head. "No."

"You keep saying that." She took a sip from her glass. "But it's true. Maybe you don't know me."

"I know you enough to know that Abercrombie over there doesn't stand a chance."

"Against who?"

"Me."

Blair scoffed and rolled her eyes. "We had a chance and look how it turned out."

"Because-"

"And I'm sorry." She cut in.

"Come on Waldorf." His voice was low again. "You never admit you're sorry."

She shrugged. "I am."

Chuck brushed his lips against her ear, ever-so-softly, just enough so that she could feel the shallow intakes of breath he was taking. "Then maybe you should" he cocked an eyebrow "make it up to me".

She snapped her head away quickly, stamped her foot and grasped her drink tighter. "I'm sorry that you _don't get it_." Her voice was louder and Chuck's eyes were wider, wilder. "We're done Chuck. We were always done. I don't want to play games anymore."

"Is there a problem?" Tyler demanded resting one of his hands on Blair's hip before inching her fingers around her waist.

Chuck looked at the two of them, dark curls next to blonde hair and green eyes and shook his head. "I just forgot something. Blair was helping me remember."

"I hope it wasn't anything important?"

Chuck eyed Blair up and down again, watched as she avoided his eyes, and then shook his head when she finally caught them. "No."

"Then you'll come and dance with me?" Tyler asked Blair, who, after trying (and failing) to swallow the lump in her throat, nodded yes.

He watched the two of them, watched as Tyler twirled Blair around and she laughed, and then again as Cassie and Asher joined them, watched as Cassie tried (and failed) to keep her breasts under control, watched as Asher looked horrified, watched as Blair giggled and the blonde flushed and then watched as Nate, standing on the sidelines with a half-full beer in his right hand tried not to look at Blair, tried not to watch the way she smiled and laughed, tried not to meet her eyes (failing at every one) before nodding and raising his cup as he left for the bathroom.

-

It snowed sometimes over night when it was cold enough and there was 'precipitation in the air' (as Cassie deemed it). Sometimes their apartment was warm, warm enough that they had to wear little shorts and Cassie would throw back the covers if Asher was sleeping next to her, just to feel some cooler air.

Sometimes though, it was so cold that they'd wear Asher and Tyler's hoodies respectively, snuggle in one bed together discussing boys and sex and what they might buy for Christmas, where they might shop for a dress for Alpha Delta Phi Christmas Party, whether Cassie would suit blunt-cut bangs, whether Blair might suit red chestnut highlights and how best to learn how to cook something other than pot roast or lasagne.

"Nathaniel, why do you look like your dog just died?" Chuck asked, making his way to the cupboard in Cassie and Blair's apartment to search for some whisky. "No scotch? You could at least buy some Jack." He called over to the girls who were looking at photos from the previous night.

"What are you doing here?" Blair asked semi-coldly.

"There's this thing that people in sit-coms seem to do a lot. I think it's called 'hanging out'." He replied. "Although you have a very poor selection of drinks."

"It's not even eight yet."

"They're drinking beer." He nodded to Nate and Asher, who were, in fact, drinking beer.

"That's different. It's not a spirit."

"You haven't met my consumption needs." Chuck returned again with a sort of semi-pout.

"You don't live here." Cassie replied before giggling at some sort of "gay face" Asher was pulling.

"Neither do these two but you've got beer."

"I drink it sometimes."

"You like bourbon. How come you don't have any?" Chuck asked, closing the cupboard before taking a beer from the refrigerator.

"I don't drink bourbon in the house!"

"You're rather strange."

Cassie shrugged and nodded to Asher. "He doesn't seem to mind."

"So what's with the face?" Chuck asked Nate as he sat down beside him on the couch. "Anything to do with Waldorf over there?"

"Keep your voice down!" Nate hissed.

"You want to be with her?"

"I really don't feel comfortable having this conversation with you."

"It's not like I can't tell." Chuck replied. "Everyone knows. Hell, the only person who probably _doesn't_ know is Waldorf."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes."

"Fine, yeah I like Blair okay? And she looked fucking amazing last night."

"Did you tell her that?"

"No."

"Then why didn't you just kiss her? Isn't that the point of masquerades – you can get away with it?"

"She's Tyler's." Nate replied simply.

Chuck scoffed. "No. She'll never be his."

"You know what makes it worse?"

"That you're being all depressed about it?"

"That Tyler's actually a good guy."

"We can fix that. I'm sure Chuck Bass can find some weakness in him that's just begging to be exploited."

Nate frowned. "It really sounds stupid when you refer to yourself in third person."

"You know what's even more stupid?"

"What?"

"You not taking your chance with Blair last night. Do you want my help or not?"

He looked towards Blair laughing with Cassie as the blonde flicked through her snaps from the night before. "No."

"No?"

"She's happy."

"So? You're not."

"She's never been just like this, not since we first came here."

"Like what?"

"That." He nodded at his ex girlfriend who was shrieking that a certain photo of her should have never been taken – not with a beer in her hand.

"I was holding it for Tyler!" She asserted.

"Yeah." Cassie laughed. "But Facebook won't know that."

"You bitch!"

"So what? I'm not the white trash holding a plastic beer cup!"

The two laughed and threw scatter cushions at one another until Asher snatched the camera away and demanded he see for himself.

"It's time we left her alone." Nate said softly.

"But she's not alone. She's with Tyler."

"Why do you care? You guys broke up. I thought you hated each other?"

"I'll never hate her." Chuck replied quietly. "You know that."

"Then why help me?"

"Because I want her to be happy. And I'd rather see her happy with you than him."

"What makes you hate him so much?"

"He's like a walking commercial for Abbercrombie and Fitch. He calls her 'babe'. You know how much she hates pet names. And he has a freaking buzz cut for God's sake!"

Nate laughed and nodded. "But seriously, just…leave her."

"Fine." Chuck accepted. "But when she's drunk and declaring that she loves him at some frat party, you know I'm going to say I told you so."

"I don't doubt it. So what happened to you last night anyway? I saw you with some girl and then I didn't see you again."

Chuck raised his eyebrow with a smirk. "That was Francesca. Italian." He nodded. "Hot."

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**A/N: **Next chapter we're celebrating Thanksgiving on the UES. Oh, and Asher and Cassie are coming too :)


	33. Thanksgiving RE:Union

**A/N- **Thanks to **xoxo - Amber, mystripedskirt, ChloeRose123, jumper, sarah, Gaara-LOve, odyjha, n, :D, CalGrl93, guardian izz, luvstoshop721, Brenda, sasha-yl27, RustyJimmy, hyacynth, xoxogg4lifexoxo, sds80, Lalai, ggxoxo, flipped, Blood Red Kiss of Death, chastitybsp, **and **Heavenlydoll **for being your lovely selves and reviewing.

Also to **Confused...** (who I couldn't pm back because you didn't have a profile) I'm glad you like it and hold on for that pairing you're wanting. See how stealth I can be? haha. Also, sorry about the title for this. They're getting worse :S

ENJOY! :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 32: Thanksgiving RE:Union

"Seriously?" Cassie squealed.

"Chuck Bass doesn't joke."

"Normally I would say that Chuck Bass needs to stop talking in third person but I can make allowances this time."

"I find your enthusiasm for a Manhattan Thanksgiving dinner difficult to stomach." Chuck replied. "Although that feeling may have a little to do with last night's liquor consumption."

"You didn't seem drunk."

"Nobody likes someone who can't control their booze." He looked towards Nate who was looking sheepish. "Sorry Nathaniel."

He shrugged. "I agree."

"I'm so excited!" Cassie clapped. "But what about Blair?"

"What about me?" Blair asked, entering their apartment to find Chuck, Nate and Asher as well as Cassie. "What are you doing here?"

Chuck narrowed his eyes. "These walls are too thin."

"I said, what are you doing here?"

"I-"

"He came to invite us to Thanksgiving in Manhattan!" Cassie squealed again. "How awesome is that going to be?"

"Pretty awesome." She replied with a large amount of sarcasm and an eye-roll or two. "For you guys."

"For you too…oh." The blonde realised, her eyes widening as Blair stared straight ahead.

"Yes Waldorf, I am extending my invite, rather generously you might say, to you too."

"How thoughtful." Her voice was laced with sarcasm again. "But I'm busy."

"Your mother and Cyrus are vacationing over Thanksgiving. How can you be busy?"

Tears pricked her eyes and she tried desperately to shield herself. "How do you know that?"

"Lily told me."

"Oh."

"So unless you and Dorota are planning a feast for two, bearing in mind how Eleanor would react if she knew you'd been treating her staff as guests, I'll ask you again. Would you join us for Thanksgiving dinner?"

"I-" She looked down at her vibrating cell and pointed to her bedroom door. "Need to answer this."

"She's being weird." Asher frowned when Blair shut her door behind her.

"That's just Waldorf." Chuck lamented. "She's trying to prove a point."

"Maybe she's just…had a fight with Tyler." Cassie tried to suggest quickly. "I'll check on her."

-

"I'm so sorry." Cassie whispered as her friend hung up. "I wasn't thinking when I said yes."

"It's okay." She forced a smile. "There's no reason for you guys not to go."

"But what are you going to do?"

She shrugged. "Eat pumpkin pie with Dorota."

"Then I'll stay here. My parents invited Asher anyway so it's not we wouldn't have anywhere to spend Thanksgiving. You could come too if you want?"

"Thanks Cass." She hugged the blonde. "But you should go. He'll know something's wrong and you know Chuck, he won't just drop it. Besides, you want to go."

"I wish you'd just tell him." Cassie replied gently. "I can't stand seeing him mad at you or saying the things he does. It's not fair."

"No." She shook her head. "His father is hard enough on him without this. He deserves to have a future and graduating Yale is the only way he's going to get that."

"He loves you Blair. You mean more to him than his father, surely?"

"And I love him." She shook her head. "I couldn't have done this if I didn't. But he needs Bart, even if he doesn't know it. He needs him more than he needs me."

"I doubt that."

She shook her head again. "I don't."

-

They'd travelled together: Cassie excited, Chuck serious, Nate and Asher joking around and Blair nervous about the 'potential of an incompetent pilot' until they touched down, collected their respective luggage and moaned that airports were horrendously busy during the Thanksgiving period.

Blair had insisted that she would be spending her Thanksgiving with Dorota and chef, and had told Cassie and Asher to call her if they were bored and wanted to sample some of her favourite pumpkin pie.

Reluctantly, Cassie had agreed and they'd parted at terminal three.

Oh my God you live in a hotel?" Cassie gasped as she and Asher stared up at the huge building, Nate and Chuck marching ahead.

"Lived." Chuck replied backwards. "When my father remarried we moved in with the van der Woodsens. I preferred 1812 but Bart said it was essential that I become part of a…" he curled his nose a little. "family."

"What's 1812?"

"My suite."

"Oh." The blonde nodded slowly, mouth still open, pink lipgloss sparkling as Asher dug her in the ribs. "Ow! What was that for?"

"I thought you were going to try and act unimpressed." He hissed.

"Well I didn't know there was this much to act unimpressed about! Have you seen it? It's huge!"

"You can unload your bags on one of Bart's employees and then we can head to the bar for a drink or three before dinner."

"Unload?" Asher asked.

"Apparently Lily is renovating. Again. So she suggested you might be more comfortable here than in one of the guest bedrooms at the house."

"So we're sleeping here?" Cassie asked in disbelief. "In one of these rooms?"

"You're top floor with a view over Central Park. You've got television, full use of hotel amenities and room service is available 24-hours. Just don't take the-"

"Got it." Asher smiled, patting Chuck on the back. "Thanks man."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Please yourselves as to what you do for the next couple hours. A car will be round to pick us up at 5:30. I'll be at the bar. There's a bottle of 1939 Macallan with my name on it."

"Oh, okay, are you sure?" Cassie asked. "We can get a cab."

"The car is coming at 5:30." Chuck reiterated. "Please be prompt. Nate, care to join me?"

"Actually I was going to check in on the house." He replied. "Make sure everything is in order, what with my mom at my grandparents'."

Chuck shrugged. "You know where to find me when you get back."

Nate nodded and patted his friend on the back. "See you guys later."

-

"What are you two doing down here?" Chuck asked as Cassie and Asher joined him at the bar. "I thought you'd be…" he curled his nose up for the second time that afternoon. "sampling the bed."

"Are you kidding? We can have sex any time." Cassie replied. "I want to check out the rest of this hotel."

"I really wish you hadn't just said that." Chuck replied.

Asher rubbed his forehead. "Me too."

"Well as much as I'd love to hear about your life behind closed doors…" Chuck began before shaking his head. "who am I kidding, I can't even be sarcastic about it. I have things to do."

"Like what?"

"Like stopping Waldorf from actually going through with having dinner with her staff."

"Chuck, she said she wanted to be on her own."

"Rule number one about Blair Waldorf." He replied. "She has a code and in order to understand her, you have to work it out. She hates being on her own. When she says she wants to be, it's a lie."

Cassie shook her head. "She doesn't have a code with me."

"I know. You're surprisingly different. But the only time Waldorf ever wants to spend Thanksgiving at her house is when her father is here. This year he's in France with his boyfriend, Eleanor is vacationing with Cyrus so that leaves her alone. Staff don't count as friends. Or even company for that matter."

"Blair's father has a boyfriend?" Asher asked.

"Don't ask about it. It's a sore point."

"Chuck, I don't think you going over there is a good idea." Cassie warned.

He finished his drink and stood up, smoothing his jacket before tweaking his scarf. "Well I didn't ask for your opinion and since you're a guest, I suggest that you enjoy the hotel before dinner. Like I said, the car will be here at 5:30."

-

"Miss Blair!" Dorota called. "Mister Chuck is here for you."

"Tell him I'm busy with chef." She called, her voice sounding less like it was coming from the kitchen, but more from upstairs.

"Miss Blair busy with chef." The maid replied obediently.

"Well you can tell Waldorf that I know she's lying." Chuck replied.

"She upstairs." Dorota mumbled quietly. "Maybe you persuade her to be with friends. Thanksgiving her favourite holiday."

Chuck nodded gratefully and made his way upstairs, knocking on Blair's bedroom door lightly.

"Did you send him away?" Blair called from behind the closed door.

"No." Chuck replied, opening it to reveal his ex-girlfriend curled up among about a million scatter cushions. "I think Dorota has taken a liking to me."

"I told you I was busy."

"You lied."

"I did not. I'm just resting until chef has finished making dinner."

"Come on Blair." He replied somewhat uncharacteristically softly. "I'm really trying here."

"Me too."

"You know it's not exactly easy for me either." His voice was louder this time.

"What isn't?"

"Trying not to think about the abortion."

Blair slammed her eyes shut quickly as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe we should talk about it."

"Don't you get it?" She shouted, jerking her body away. "I don't want to talk about it, I don't want to remember it."

"But it might be better-"

"Chuck please!" Her voice was close to pleading and so he left it there, rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and sighed.

"Fine."

She wanted to say sorry; sorry that she'd gone through with it, but she wasn't sorry, and she wouldn't lie any more than she already had to. Besides, if she did, she figured it would only patronise him further.

"Where are Cassie and Asher?" She asked after a minute or two of silence.

"Trying out the hotel amenities apparently."

"Nate?"

"Checking his house is in order."

"Serena?"

"At home I guess. Her flight was due in last night."

"Oh."

"She'd be disappointed if you weren't there. I mean, my father will be in his office most of the night, Lily's probably still making elicit calls to Rufus Humphrey…God." He swallowed and feigned disgust, making Blair roll her eyes. "So it'll be just us. I hate to say it but it might actually be fun. And…I'd like it if you came."

"I just…I don't get how you can forgive me for…you know."

"I don't." He replied honestly, if a little coldly. "Not for that. But it's Thanksgiving and for some reason I felt compelled to ask Cassie and that guy she hangs around with to come. It'd be better for them if you were there."

She nodded slowly. "Okay."

"So I can expect you at around 5:30?"

"I'll meet you guys at the Palace." Blair replied. "I'll ask chef to bake daddy's pumpkin pie."

"Good." Chuck nodded without much expression. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an invite to give to your maid."

"You're inviting Dorota?"

Chuck shrugged. "It's Thanksgiving."

"Thanksgiving doesn't extend to staff." She called as he left her room, smile more firmly in place. "Chuck!"

-

"B!" Serena squealed, half-jumping, half-running along the hallway to embrace her friend. "How are you? I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too." Blair replied, fingering the long blonde curls belonging to her (perhaps former) best friend. "You're so tanned! And you…Humphrey?" She frowned as Dan rounded the corner in the hallway. "What's he doing here?"

"Waldorf, hello." Dan nodded, forcing out and obviously fake smile before extending his hand to Nate who shook it warmly, and then to Chuck, who simply eyed him up and down wearing a look of utter disgust. "Nice to see you too."

"Asher." The new-comer extended his hand with a nod and Dan took it firmly.

"Dan. Humphrey. Hence the not-really-affectionate nickname. Nice to meet you."

"You too." Asher replied. "This is my girlfriend Cassie."

"Yeah, we've met." Cassie smiled.

"Where?"

"When Blair and I went to Providence. He has a funny sense of humour."

"Thank you."

"She didn't mean funny 'ha ha' Humphrey, she meant funny 'weird'."

"Thanks Blair." He fake smiled again and held his hand up in a wave. "It's always nice to be greeted with insults."

The brunette rolled her eyes and ignored him, grabbing hold of Cassie to place her in front of Serena. "S, meet Cassie."

"I've heard so much about you." Serena smiled as she took Cassie in a hug. "And I love your coat." She fingered the auburn material and flashed her teeth again. "It's so pretty."

"Thank you. I've heard so much about you too."

"Did you get your teeth done?" Blair interjected. "They're so white."

"Oh my God, yeah I met this guy whose dad is a cosmetic dentist." She replied in trademark Serena style, leading the two girls away down the hall to the living room. "He said he'd be able to get me a discount. Come on, I want to hear all about New Haven. I think my mom's asked the chef for some of those brie and cranberry canapés you like."

-

They spend the best part of an hour talking about California, about the beaches and the surfing lessons some guy had given Serena in turn for a little tuition before midterms here and there, about the heat, the way the sun had lightened her already blonde locks, how college parties were nearly always held outside with fairy light decorations and how, after aiming not to join a sorority, she was now a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma (naturally).

They told her, in return, how they spent nights in their apartment, often with the boys, watching America's Next Top Model reruns, about how Blair occasionally drank beer, sometimes out of red plastic cups. They told her about Scoozi, about Neat, about the frat parties they went to, about lacrosse games, the need for scarves and gloves all the time lately, and about the bakery that made amazing maple pecan plaits.

Dan entered the conversation, half way through, not silently like Nate and Chuck and Asher, offering his view on Brown, telling them that the library facilities were amazing, that Providence was – and is - such a beautiful place, that he too, needs to wear scarves a lot, that he's actually on the soccer team and that, weirdly enough, he wasn't a loser.

"Aww." Serena smiled, pinching her ex-boyfriend's cheeks with puckered lips. "You were never a loser Dan."

"Yes he was."

"And as usual, Blair is here to remind me that in Manhattan, I'm nothing."

"Now see Dan?" She fake-smiled. "You do that on your own."

"Come on guys." Serena laughed. "It's Thanksgiving."

"And I'm just reminding him of the things in Providence he should be thankful for."

"Okay, Bart has finally decide to surface from his office so we can eat!" Lily exclaimed, entering the room from the kitchen. "Serena, would you call Eric and Jenny while I introduce Bart to our guests?"

"Eric is Lily's son." Chuck told a bewildered-looking Cassie. "Jenny is his guest I presume?"

Lily nodded. "Seeing as you were bringing guests, Serena asked Dan and so Eric said he wanted Jenny to come."

"And she felt so bad about leaving Dan and Jenny's father home alone that Lily invited him too." Bart added, rounding the corner with a glass of whisky and a pretty pissed-off expression.

"Thank you for having us." Asher smiled politely, receiving a nod from the man whom Cassie had silently vowed not to talk to directly. Or like.

"It's no trouble. Now, why don't we all take a seat. I'll ask Jasmine to fetch the wine." He nodded at the Chinese maid stood in the corner of the room, who, after indirect instruction, did as she was asked.

"Oh my God, Rufus Humphrey is going to be here?" Cassie asked excitedly. "This is so awesome!"

"Oh God, you're not excited about my father being here are you?" Dan asked.

"Hell yes! I could be his groupie!"

"Please do not say that word in front of him." Lily asked with a laugh. "It'll transport him back to the 80's, and nobody wants that over Thanksgiving dinner."

"Definitely not." Serena agreed before mumbling "not now we all know what you did in the 80's."

"Thanksgiving on the Upper East Side is traditionally very eventful." Dan added, nodding towards Asher and Cassie.

"The less said about previous Thanksgivings the better." Bart said, unfolding the napkin from his wine glass as Jasmine rounded the corner with a tray of chardonnay and a uniform-less Dorota trailing behind.

"Dorota?" Serena frowned.

The polish maid nodded with an uncomfortable smile before sitting down in the seat Chuck indicated. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"I cannot believe one of Eleanor Waldorf's staff is eating dinner with us." Bart grumbled to Lily as he stuck his fork into the smoked salmon appetiser.

"Bart, it's Thanksgiving." Lily reminded gently.

"Exactly. The season of goodwill isn't for another couple of weeks."

"I cannot believe you actually came." Blair hissed to the maid.

"Mr Chuck invite me."

"So?"

"So I thought it would be fun. Two years ago we feed ducks in park. This year, I meet college friends."

"Dorota, did you ever go to college? Or even high school for that matter?"

"No."

"Then you do not understand what you being here means."

"Is everything okay Blair?" Bart asked from the top of the table.

The brunette dipped her head. "Fine."

"Good." Bart smiled. "Then I propose a toast. To family and friends." He held up his glass as she scowled at him. "Happy Thanksgiving."


	34. I Want Yule

**A/N - **To **Blood Red Kiss of Death, JYLlian, Amber - xoxo, addisonkarev, mystripedskirt, laurienlaurie, Gaara-LOve, sailor cyanide RustyJimmy, Maddie, ggxoxo, flipped, quibler149, sasha-yl27, Heavenlydoll, Brenda, NoL, xoxogg4lifexoxo, Edwardslover09, elli, CalGrl93, dkmm1999, blair4eva, Michaellllla, Krazy4Spike **and **:D **you guys are awesome for reviewing and I love you.

This chapter was a bit longer than I'd anticipated. My titles are getting worse. I wish puns were cool haha. ENJOY :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 33: I Want Yule

"Oh my God, your apartment looks like Santa's grotto." Asher said, taking in the strings of twinkling lights and red bows.

"Cassie's a Christmas freak." Blair mumbled from somewhere semi-inside the faux-snow topped Christmas tree.

"Really?" The blonde asked with a raised eyebrow. "And who's the one who colour-coded all the decorations?"

"Well if we had to have them, they have to match." Blair replied indignantly, taking a step back to survey her work.

"Says who?"

"Says every 'Beautiful Home' magazine ever written?"

"I don't think matching decorations is a rule."

"It is." Blair answered. "It's an unwritten one."

"Well I think it looks…"

"Ridiculously over-the-top?" Asher answered for Nate with a smirk.

Nate tried to keep his smile from spreading. "I was going to say very festive."

"Thank you Nate." Cassie nodded pointedly before glaring at her boyfriend. "I guess you won't want to see the outfit I bought that makes me look like Santa's naughty little helper?"

"Don't say things like that." Asher grinned.

"Yeah." Blair rolled her eyes. "It makes me and Archibald uncomfortable."

"It only makes Nate uncomfortable because he's wishing it was you wearing…whatever outfit Cassie's going to have me removing later."

"Thanks for that."

"You're welcome. Now, are we actually going to get what we came for?"

"You're really going to be that blatant about sex?" Cassie asked as Blair rolled her eyes.

"I didn't come here for sex!" Nate exclaimed.

"And neither did I actually." Asher added. "We just came to see if you guys had any…lasagne left."

This time it was Cassie's turn to roll her eyes. "Are you really that incapable of cooking? Lasagne is like the easiest dish to make."

Asher shrugged, leaning in to kiss his girlfriend. "We like yours better."

"Right answer."

-

"Ooh someone looks like they're out to get some tonight." Cassie smiled with a raised eyebrow as she looked at her roommate dressed in cream silk and black velvet.

"Cassie!"

"It's true. You look like sex."

"Well I was going for classy, but whatever."

"Okay fine, you look like missionary position sex."

"And that means…"

"It means that your boobs are pushed up, your hair is wavy, your eyes are smoky, I _know _you're wearing lace stockings under there, and what you really look like, is hot bad-girl sex, but I was trying to make you feel more conservative."

"I'd thank you if I thought that was a compliment and call you a bitch if I thought it was an insult but to be honest, I don't know what the hell you're talking about so I'm just going to go."

The blonde shook her head with a smile. "Have fun."

"I intend to." She replied, heading out of the door. "Oh, and Cass?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't wait up."

-

They talked about school, about the amount of assignments they had due either before Christmas break, or the first week after their return in January. They talked about the pasta they were eating, about whether Waldorf salads really were better than nicoise ones. Of course, Blair was adamant that it was all in the name. Tyler said he preferred the fact that nicoise had tuna.

They discussed where he'd spend New Years, what she'd be doing in Manhattan, lacrosse, how cute she looked in his team sweater with her blue scarf and mittens poking out. They talked about Nate and Asher and Cassie and beer pong, truth or dare, I never and keg stand.

She told him she hated sorority girls. He told her he originally thought she _was _a sorority girl. She mock-hit him. He kissed her, they read the dessert menu, complained there was nothing they liked, he suggested getting ice cream and she suggested a walk through town.

"The lights look so pretty." Blair said, smiling as he tightened his grip on her hand as they neared campus again.

"So do you."

"That was cheesy." She scoffed, rolling her eyes with a smile that she couldn't quite fully remove.

"I guess cheesy's not good?"

"Not so much." She replied. "But I am a fan of compliments."

"I'll remember that."

They turned the corner only to encounter a slightly-dishevelled-looking Chuck who had a bottle of whisky in one hand and a study book in the other. Blair winced silently as he crossed the road to talk to them, his non-straight walk an indicator that he'd already been drinking.

"Well don't you two just look like a poster couple?"

"Chuck." Blair nodded.

"Waldorf." He nodded back with a slight smirk. "That dress is divine."

"Are you drunk?" Tyler asked with a hint of disgust that Blair couldn't ignore.

"Not drunk per say. Just a little intoxicated. I just came from a party actually. Shame really." He replied. "It was getting kind of interesting." He winked at a very pissed-looking Tyler. "If you know what I mean."

"Why'd you leave?"

"I've got an assignment to start."

"You're going to start that now?" Blair asked.

"Yes. Why? Haven't you started yet?"

"I've finished."

"That's right, I forgot." Chuck nodded. "Blair Waldorf's a good girl. Or so she'd like people to think."

"You're really starting to piss me off." Tyler warned.

Chuck made a shocked expression and put his hand to his chest. "Look if I offended you…I don't care."

"Making an enemy of the Alpha Delta Phi president isn't a good idea."

He scoffed. "I'm from a different frat. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

"Not if you want to continue attending our social events."

"I go to parties to meet girls. Sorority girls fuck frat guys from any house. They're not choosy."

"And neither are you." Blair replied, turning to her boyfriend. "He'll have sex with anything that moves."

Chuck only smirked. "The faster the better." He nodded at Tyler. "And you certainly got a decent model."

He'd barely lifted a corner of his mouth into a smirk before Tyler knocked him to the floor with a single punch. The blonder boy grabbed Blair's hand again and pulled her away from the spot she seemed to be rooted in.

"Let's go Blair." He said sternly, scowling backwards at Chuck who was wiping the blood from his mouth with his fingertips. "Blair!"

-

"You didn't have to punch him." She said coldly, the first words that had been spoken since they'd made their way to the Alpha Delta Phi house coming as a break in their mutual silence.

"I was defending you!"

"He was only joking around." Blair replied.

"It wasn't funny. I knew there was something I hated about him when I first met him, walking around like he owned the place."

"That's just Chuck."

"You're defending him now?"

"I just…I know what he's like. He's my friend Tyler."

"Yeah, one who you had sex with in the back of a limo."

"How do you know about that?" Her voice was low and cold.

"Everyone knows about that Blair. He tells people!" He shouted. "And the worst thing is that you don't deny it."

"I don't deny it because it's the truth."

"Aren't you ashamed?"

"No." She swallowed the lump that was in her throat, never taking her brown eyes off of his green ones. "Are you?"

"No." He replied honestly. "But I thought you would be."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Come on Blair." His voice was softer, lower, condescending. "You gave it up to that?"

"Go to hell."

-

"Woah, I know you said not to wait up, but you didn't even give me a chance to go to bed yet." Cassie said, looking up from her study book as Blair slammed their apartment door closed. "And you're sporting a pissed face?"

"Yes."

"And you're here because…"

"We had a fight."

"Really?" The blonde half-laughed with a raised eyebrow. "And you're not having makeup sex yet?"

"Yes really. And no Cassie, we're not having makeup sex. I do not have sex all of the time!"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I forgot how much of a bitch you can be."

"Well then." She replied, removing her coat, beret, scarf and mittens before removing the apple pie Cassie had made earlier from the refrigerator. "It's a good job I reminded you."

She watched as the brunette devoured forkful after forkful seemingly as part of a revenge act against the pie. "Blair honey, put the fork down."

"I don't want to." She pouted before eating another bite. "The pie never did anything wrong."

"Not yet, but when you've put on five pounds overnight, you'll be complaining it did. Now, sit down and tell Cassie what happened."

"Okay." She mumbled with yet another pout as she put the fork down. "But it's weird when you talk about yourself in third person."

"I'll remember that. So…"

"Tyler punched Chuck."

"What!? Why? And why were you guys hanging out with Chuck on your date?"

"We weren't hanging out, we met him in the street."

"What did he say?"

"Something referring to him having sex with me."

"In front of your boyfriend?" Cassie asked with a slight grin. "Nice."

"And then Tyler got mad when I said that Chuck was just joking around. He said I was defending him. Then he called me a slut."

"He what!?"

"Well, he mentioned that he, and everyone else apparently, knows that I had sex in the back of a limo. And that he thought I'd be ashamed that I lost my virginity to Chuck."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to sit here with you and think of insults to throw at him when we next see him?"

"No."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No."

"Do you want me to ring Asher and Nate and tell them to kick his ass?"

"No. I want you to sit here and say nothing while I finish off the rest of that pie."

Cassie only nodded quietly. "Okay."

-

"So Cassie told me something interesting today." Asher said to Nate as they stuffed their lacrosse practise clothes into their gym bags.

"What?"

"Blair and Tyler had a fight last night. They haven't made up yet."

"Oh."

"Is that all you've got to say?"

"Well it's not like I can do anything about it. Besides, anyone Blair dates is going to be involved in _many_ fights."

"Cassie said it was a bad fight. Like, potential-end-of-relationship fight. So you can stop picturing the two of them together every time you see her." Asher laughed, shutting his locker.

"You know what's worse than that?" Nate asked with a small forced laugh. "Sometimes I pass her in the reception hall wearing the clothes she had on the night before, or even his sweater. I know when she's slept with him and it makes me feel sick."

"Then stop being such a whiney bitch and tell her." Asher replied. "You're beginning to sound like those girls who write into magazine agony aunts. It's fucking depressing."

"How would you know about the kind of girls that write to magazine agony aunts?"

"I read Cassie's Cosmo."

"I think you've just redefined depressing, right there."

"See that's where you're wrong man. There's all kinds of good shit in there. One issue, they even reviewed sex toys."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. There's this column that gives you a new sex position to try out every month." He broke into a grin. "And Cass likes to try them out."

"Way too much information!" Nate grimaced shaking his head as he shut his locker. "Can we get beer? I feel like I've just bared my soul."

Asher nodded his head. "Beer it is."

-

"Are you sure?" Cassie asked. "Because we don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I want to go." Blair replied. "I like Christmas parties. Besides, it'll give me a chance to let Tyler apologise."

"You're going to forgive him?"

"He's called me fifty-three times. Although, I might hold out for a little public grovelling first."

"Okay, but if you want to leave, just let me know."

"Like you'll want to leave." She rolled her eyes. "Asher will be all over you when he sees you in that."

"You don't think it's too…Mrs Claus?" The blonde asked, referring to the red thigh-length dress she was wearing.

"Definitely not. And for the record, red suits you."

"Thanks. And for the record, your my-boyfriend-needs-to-think-about-what-an-ass-he's-been outfit suits _you_."

"Too frustrating?"

"Are you kidding? You're wearing a dress with a silk mesh covering the parts of you he's really going to have missed. It's perfect!"

-

"I'm not drunk." Blair fumed, holding her empty glass out to a surprised-looking Nate who seemed to have escaped Asher and Cassie's PDA in the living room.

"You want another?"

"Yes."

She watched him measure out the vodka properly. "Add more."

"Are you sure?"

"Just do it."

"Okay." He mumbled, adding diet coke to Blair's glass before removing the top off of his own beer bottle. "Are you okay?" He asked, taking a swig from the bottle. "You seem a little-"

"I'm fine."

They were silent for a minute or two, the room filled with incredibly loud dance beats saving them from having to listen to the clock ticking, and Blair from remembering that she hadn't seen Tyler all night, let alone received an apology.

"I deserve to have fun right?" She asked finally. "I mean, I'm in college. You have fun at college. You get drunk, sleep around."

"Um…"

"But I haven't slept around."

Nate frowned. "Do you _want_ to?"

"No, I just….I thought-"

"Cool party huh?" Some extremely drunk blonde girl asked them before knocking over several half-full plastic beer cups. "Oops. Just…came to get another bottle!" She held up the Corona and pointed to the ceiling. "Hey, you guys are standing under mistletoe."

She left as quickly as she'd entered, and Blair and Nate looked up to the ceiling above them.

"We _are_ standing under mistletoe."

Blair stared at him, her brown eyes deep and intense. "That means we're supposed to kiss."

"Yeah." Nate replied, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat since she'd inched closer. "But-"

Her lips, warm and sweet on his tasted of peppermint gloss despite the numerous glasses of alcohol she'd drunk, her perfume was the same as the one that had lingered on his pillow during first year as a result of the nights she'd spent there when Cassie was…entertaining. Her skin was daringly soft when he rested a fingertip on her chin to tilt her face up to him, her hair, glossy and curled and thick tickled his neck and her breath misted his nose so that he had to breathe in short gasps between kisses.

He tucked his fingers at the nape of her neck to stroke the side with his thumb. It was involuntarily of course. He could barely think straight enough to move his lips.

She didn't pull away.


	35. Just, Only, Merely

**A/N- **OKay how many of you hate me for not updating? I'm so sorry guys, just been so busy with uni that any time spent away from a computer/books is a blessing. Anyway, assignments are over for now and so I'm free to focus on this. Major thanks to **jiinjjakiiten, livelife, Gossipgirl2780, JYLlian, xoxo - Amber, codswallop, cavanaugh-girl, Sweetsas, imlying, ggxoxo, chasitybsp, NostalgiaKills, cakebakery, laurienlaurie, Sds80, Brenda, sasha-yl27, 3venst4r, Hyacinth, sailor cyanide, forbrighterdays, Edwardslover09, CalGrl93, dkmm1999, WoahWoahWoah!, flipped, luvs2shop721, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Bethany, Michaellllla, RustyJimmy, Gaara-LOve, Lalai, Killer Newton, StephyluvsBL4EVA, finnlover, anonymous, guardian izz, michelle, blair4eva **and** addisonkarev **for making my Christmas loving with your reviews and kind words :) Every review makes me smile, so thanks for that :)

Also thanks to **mystripedskirt: **I'm glad you didn't punch Tyler. That could have damaged your computer screen **quibbler149: **glad you're enjoying not knowing who you're rooting for. As the author I know exactly how this fic is going to end, yet I'm still not sure sure who I'm rooting for :P

For those who want Tyler out of the picture...keep reading :P

Enjoy xxx

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 34: Just, Only, Merely 

"Do you have much work yet?" Nate asked Blair, sitting down at the table she was already occupying before presenting her with a double espresso.

She flicked her eyes up at him quickly, bit her lip involuntarily and gathered the few pieces of paper scattered across the table. "Lots." She replied. "Actually I should be in the library right now so you should drink my coffee." Remembering her manners she smiled again hastily. "But it was a nice thought."

"It's espresso Blair." Nate returned. "It won't take longer than thirty seconds to drink."

She took the tiny cup in between her thumb and forefinger and took the liquid in her mouth in more than a sip, yet less than a gulp. He was right. It was gone in thirty seconds.

"Thanks." Her smile was brief, forced and her hair bounced over her eyes before she had to look at him directly. "I should…"

"Yeah." He nodded. "The library."

She nodded too and left the table without another word. He watched as the sliding doors opened for her, as she stopped, turned to look at him like she was going to say what he'd been waiting to hear for the last year, and he kept watching as her lips turned from open to closed, to yet another small smile before she turned around once more and the doors closed again.

The next time the doors opened it was a rather frustrated-looking Cassie entering the coffee shop wearing what seemed to be a million layers of clothing and weighed down with books. Nate stared up at her, mug still between his hands as she blew the sweeping strands of platinum off of her face and dropped the books onto the floor, making a loud bang.

"Thanks for the helping hand." She muttered sarcastically, dropping her bag onto the chair beside Nate before peeling off her coat, a pink cardigan and then a black cardigan. "I see Manhattan hasn't improved your manners over Winter Break."

"Sorry." He replied. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll have a caramel frappuccino."

He frowned. "It's 28 outside."

Her expression told him not to question her. "I'm overheated. And thirsty."

-

Blair watched as her cell lit up with yet another call from Tyler. She'd stopped cancelling them now, instead, just let each call ring off so he didn't know she knew he was calling.

"I thought you were done playing games?" Chuck drawled over her shoulder, just quietly enough so as not to be detected by the librarian.

"I am." Blair answered without thinking, frowning as soon as she'd said it. "And why are you always creeping up on me in the library?"

"Then what was going on with you and Nate under the mistletoe?" He shuddered. "That just sounded like a conversation from a romance novel."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Chuck replied as Blair flushed. "And I just watched you ignore your boyfriend's phonecall. What happened? Didn't he get you the bracelet you wanted for Chistmas?"

"Chuck, go away."

"And I really thought he was perceptive. Anyone could have told him you wanted that bracelet."

"He got me the damn bracelet okay!?" She hissed, turning heads from other tables.

Chuck picked up her left wrist and then her right before smirking. "And you're not wearing it which means you guys broke up."

"We did not break up!"

"Then you're not wearing it because maybe you feel guilty for kissing Nate at the Alpha Delta Phi party so you're avoiding Tyler. You can't wear the bracelet because it reminds you of what a bitch you are now." He corrected himself. "Still."

"I hate you."

"Well then I guess it's a good job I don't hate you back." Chuck replied. "Maybe then I'd tell Tyler."

"Blackmail Chuck?" She scoffed. "Really?"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "We both know you like to play games."

"And you don't?"

"I'm not the one who's ignoring my boyfriend's calls."

"That's because nobody wants to call you back."

He shrugged again. "At least I don't need to be in a fake relationship in order to prove myself."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Finish lying first." Chuck returned quietly as he left the chair beside her. "Then maybe you'll get it."

-

"Okay so what the hell happened with you and Blair at that party before Christmas?" Cassie asked Nate, having calmed down from her heat-induced annoyance. "And don't act like you don't know anything because she's avoided me and Asher and you and when she hasn't been able to avoid me I've watched her avoid Tyler's phonecalls."

"Umm-"

"Yesterday he came round to our apartment and I had to lie that she was at the library. What's going on? Did something happen between you guys?"

"No."

"Then why is she being weird?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

He'd have explained, he figured, but since he wasn't quite sure himself what was going on, it seemed hard to explain to someone else.

"I'm not lying Cass, I don't know what's going on. Maybe it's just Blair being Blair."

"Well she's not normally bitchy and secretive."

Nate shot her a look as if to tell her to reconsider what she'd just said.

"Okay fine, but she's not bitchy and secretive towards me and ever since she defended Chuck to Tyler she's been that way. I mean, I watched her eat an entire apple pie. That just isn't good."

It clicked into place for him as he realised the way she'd been drinking at the party, how he hadn't seen her with Tyler all night, how she'd talked about having fun, how Chuck had had a black eye the following day. "I've gotta go." Nate said quickly. "Lacrosse practise."

"You're lying again." She replied wryly as Nate got up from his seat.

"Bye Cassie."

-

"I'm actually surprised to find you here." Tyler said with a small smile as he sat down at the table opposite Blair. "Every time Cassie told me you were here, the only people I found were librarians or science geeks."

"She told you I was here?"

Tyler shook his head. "Not today. I haven't seen her."

They were silent as Blair kept her eyes fixed on her textbook until Tyler's gaze landed on her cell. "I see you missed my calls."

"I was busy."

"All Winter Break?"

"I have assignments due next week."

"Look Blair I'm really sorry about what I said."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah."

"I didn't mean it – I just…I was so mad at Chuck for…well, I was mad that you were defending him. He's your ex-boyfriend and I guess I just thought you were done."

"We _are_ done." Blair replied. "But it doesn't mean that I'm not going to speak to him or that we're going to stop hanging out. His step-sister is my best friend."

"I was an ass." He smiled ruefully. "But I just don't trust him."

"Do you trust me?" She returned, feeling somewhat ashamed for even asking.

"Yes."

She smiled rather uncomfortably and turned her head so that she was no longer facing the wrong direction.

"I understand if you don't want to be around me right now. If you're still mad or if you just want to finish your work." Tyler told her. "But if you're not doing anything tonight and you don't totally hate me, I'm making gnocchi if you fancy coming round for dinner."

Blair offered another small smile as Tyler got up to leave. "Just…call me and I'll come pick you up."

-

"The only women I've seen today all look as if they're going to kill me." Nate said, lightly chuckling as Blair stormed in through his door. "And apparently you're no exception."

"Chuck knows." She huffed, tugging both ends of the striped scarf she was wearing as Nate closed the door behind her.

"About what?"

"About what happened with us at your frat's stupid Christmas party."

"The mistletoe kiss?"

"Keep your voice down!" Blair hissed. "God, he saw us and now he's almost definitely going to blackmail me seeing as he hates Tyler so much."

Nate frowned. "What's this got to do with me?"

"We need to get our story straight. About what happened. About us kissing."

"You need to calm down. Do you want a drink or a bagel or something?"

"No I don't want a drink, and I definitely don't want a bagel."

He put a hand on her shoulder, tried to calm her and instead it just made it that much harder to breathe. "It was the mistletoe."

"Right." Blair nodded. "Otherwise it wouldn't have happened. Just…you're supposed to kiss under mistletoe right?"

"Right."

"So if we hadn't kissed, it would have been like breaking the Christmas rules."

"We kissed Blair." Nate replied, somewhat matter-of-factly. "We didn't jump into bed or rip each others' clothes off. It was just a kiss."

The lump in her throat got bigger. "Right."

"You don't need to tell Tyler that I could taste your lip gloss or that you didn't pull away or that I didn't pull away or that we almost forgot to breathe." He shrugged. "Because it was a mistletoe kiss."

She nodded, curls tumbling around her shoulders. "Yeah. It was a mistletoe kiss. That's all."

He couldn't help noticing that her smile included relief, and so he saved the rest of what he'd been hoping she'd recognise was his way of telling her that of course it was more than that.

"I should-"

"Yeah." He nodded as he watched her stare at the door. "I'm sure I saw Tyler making something to eat earlier."

"Gnocchi." Blair replied.

"Right."

"So, thanks." She offered a grateful smile. "For-"

"Yeah." Nate cut, nodding as she smoothed down her scarf and he saw the bracelet he knew she'd wanted off Tyler for Christmas slide down her arm, stopping at the widest part of her hand. "Have a nice night."


	36. The Mistletoe Appreciation Society

**A/N – **No waffling today, just shout-outs to **JYLlian, SweetSas, GreekLia, CalGrl93, imlying, Brenda, Gaara-Love, SmearedLipGloss, quibbler149, niinjjakiiten, Blood Red Kiss of Death, jen, hyacinth, xoxo – Amber, Krazy4Spike, ggxoxo, dysenchanted2, LittleRed22, voldemort14, ellend, gossipgirl2780, :D, Sailor Cyanide, xoxogg4lifexoxo, RustyJimmy, addisonkarev, laurienlaurie, toocrazy **and** flipped **for being awesome and reviewing last chapter.

Hope you enjoy this one :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 35: The Mistletoe Appreciation Society

"Hey baby." Cassie smiled, kissing Asher before he'd even got through the door. "No Nate?"

"No, he's…" he glanced at Blair who was staring straight back at him from behind her textbook on the couch. "Busy."

"Oh, well then Blair will just have to be the third wheel."

"I hope I didn't just hear my name mentioned in reference to being the odd one out." The brunette replied. "I had enough third wheel action with Serena and Cabbage Patch in high school, I'm not going to watch you two paw each other over almond croissants."

"We don't paw each other." Asher replied. "And Cass wants chocolate brioche today anyway."

"When you know that your girlfriend prefers one French pastry over another at certain times of the month, you know a little too much about each other."

"You're just worried that Nate's avoiding you or…you're trying to avoid Nate or whatever it is that's going on between you." Cassie returned, bundling a red scarf around her neck. "Did I mention you've been acting weird?"

"Several times." Blair muttered. "And I told you that it's all in your head. And you're wearing my scarf by the way."

"I know." The blonde shrugged. "I figured seeing as you've been a complete bitch since we came back from Winter Break, the least you could do was loan me your horrendously expensive, but completely adorable knitwear."

Blair shrugged and Asher checked his watch. "Um, so can we go now?"

"If you wanted to watch America's Next Top Model as opposed to shopping with your girlfriend you should have just said." Cassie huffed, pulling on her gloves. "I can shop and eat pastries on my own you know."

"I know." He replied. "I just…"

"What?"

"Well I thought you might be buying lingerie."

"You two are gross." Blair mumbled from behind her textbook again.

"And you're just bitter because the last time you and Tyler were romantic he punched Chuck and then you guys had a fight. Then you ate that entire apple pie."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the reminder."

"You're welcome." Cassie sung in the way that always made her friend smile, even if she didn't want to. "Bye bye."

Blair shook her head with a conceding smile. "Bye guys."

-

Since returning to Yale after Winter Break, there'd been no major parties to speak of. A few of the smaller frats and sororities had held 'welcome back' mixers, but most had coincided with upcoming presentations or assignment hand-in times.

Mid terms were now over for the second year students and so the KKG girls had decided on a 'school's out' theme for their upcoming beginning-of-semester-two party; something which Blair found to be very tacky, yet not entirely unexpected. Her Constance uniform had still been residing in her closet at home, just as it had done since high school ended. Serena had suggested she take it with her, just in case of such a social event, yet the brunette had been adamant that should she ever attend any such event, it would not be wearing something with thread count as high as her Constance blouses. A number of factors (namely, poor quality chain store shirts and skirts) however, had resulted in Dorota mailing the outfit to her via Fed Ex, and the previous morning, the parcel containing her old uniform and a hand-written letter from the maid made it to her apartment.

"_That_ is your old school uniform?" Cassie asked in surprise.

"Yes." Blair winced, fingering the delicate fabric. "And it kills me that I'm wearing it as fancy dress."

"I'll wear it for you. You can wear mine."

She eyed up her friend's lean stomach and then the almost-see-through blouse covering the rest of her skin. "Pass."

Cassie pouted. "Thought you might say that." She fingered the over-the-knee socks with their tiny bows. "I can't believe you wore this to school! I bet for the guys it was like going to school on the set of a porn film."

"Cassie!"

"Look at you! You look so hot! And you're not even trying." She raised an eyebrow. "Tyler's going to love it."

Blair swallowed the guilty lump in her throat. "Yeah."

"Well that didn't sound very convincing."

"It's just…" She dipped her head. "God Cass, I hate myself so much."

"Why?" The blonde asked gently pulling her friend down onto the couch beside her. "What is it? Is this why you've been weird? I _knew_ there was something wrong!"

"I kissed Nate."

"When!?" Cassie shrieked.

"At the Alpha Delta Phi Christmas party."

"And I missed it!? Where was I?"

"Practically getting it on with Asher in the corner of the living room."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"How was it?"

Blair shrugged. "It was just a kiss under the mistletoe."

Her recipient looked unconvinced. "How was it really?"

"Gorgeous."

Cassie clapped her hands excitedly. "You have no idea how happy I am for you guys."

Blair's expression didn't match. "Chuck saw us."

"Oh."

"I can't imagine how much he must hate me right now." She mumbled. "I kissed my ex-boyfriend in front of my other ex-boyfriend whose child I aborted, while I'm still with my current boyfriend who punched said ex-boyfriend in the face while we were on a date."

"Man that's messed up." Cassie replied.

"You think I don't know that? God, I didn't tell you about what happened because it's bad enough that Chuck knows. Now you do too, that makes four of us. None of those four is Tyler who, since the whole Chuck thing, has been so sweet and apologetic."

"Now I'm confused." Cassie wrinkled her forehead. "You hate yourself because you kissed Nate behind Tyler's back or because you aborted Chuck's baby and he was the one who saw it all happen?"

"Both." She answered honestly. "And Nate and I agreed that we wouldn't tell Tyler because it was nothing, but Chuck hates Tyler and even though he said he wouldn't tell him, I'm not sure I trust him to keep quiet. I mean, it's Chuck."

"You know what would make you feel less guilty? Telling Chuck the truth. You shouldn't have to live with what his father made you do."

Blair shook her head. "His guilt would make me feel worse."

"Then tell Tyler before Chuck does. _If_ Chuck does."

"I don't want to hurt him." Her voice was quiet. "It was one time. And it was nothing."

Her friend shook her head. "A gorgeous nothing?"

Blair sighed. "Nate said it was nothing. That it was just a kiss."

"Well if that's what it was." Cassie replied sceptically. "You don't need to worry. So get your hot little ass off this couch and over to that party."

-

"_That_ was Blair's old uniform?" Asher asked Cassie as they watched the brunette pour herself a rather stiff 151 and coke.

"I know. I went through high school thinking that wearing a black bra under a white shirt was risqué."

Asher smiled. "I guess they're used to a completely different world than us huh?"

She nodded as Nate placed a hand on the small of Blair's back to steady himself as he reached for a beer out of the ice bucket. "They should be together."

"I know. I'm so sick of seeing Nate moping over her. Maybe we should give them a helping hand. Tyler's a douchebag anyway, we'd be doing Blair a favour."

Cassie shook her head as they watched their friends make awkward small talk by the drinks table. "I think Blair needs to figure things out for herself."

"Can't we just lock them in a room together?" Asher asked. "Since we got back from Winter Break, Nate's been weird. He hasn't even wanted to go to any bars and get drunk."

"Well things might be about to get weirder." She nodded toward the pair who were sporting ambiguous expressions. "That doesn't look good."

"It was your fault." Blair replied, the liquid in her plastic cup sloshing dangerously from side-to-side. "You didn't take your lips away."

"Well you didn't take your lips away either."

"You kissed me first. It was your responsibility."

"You have a boyfriend. Surely it was your responsibility."

"You _knew_ I had a boyfriend, you shouldn't have kissed me in the first place."

"It was you who said we were supposed to kiss."

"Yeah. _Supposed to_. I didn't mean you had to do it!"

"Well you weren't suggesting otherwise."

"You're making me cross!" Blair hissed. "Just admit it!"

"Admit what?"

"God you're such an ass Nathaniel Archibald."

"For kissing you?"

"Yes!"

"How does that make me an ass?"

"I have a boyfriend."

Nate sighed. "We were under the mistletoe the mistletoe and you said yourself that it was the rule."

"And _you_ said that it was just a kiss."

"Yeah."

"And it didn't mean anything."

"Exactly."

"Then…" She trailed off, making a noise that sounded somewhere in between a scream and a sigh before turning on her heels.

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving."

"Blair..." He sighed as she made her way past Asher and Cassie and toward outside where she knew Tyler would be hanging out. "Blair!"

"Should we-" Asher pointed to Nate and then to the direction of Blair's exit.

Cassie shook her head. "Leave them. They'll work it out."

-

"Blair?" Nate asked to the back of the bouncing brunette flowing down the hall. "How come you're-"

"I came to see Tyler."

The air between them was thinner than it had been the previous night at the sorority party and the fact that she knew he knew where she'd spent the night only made things worse. The look in his eyes made her want to tell him that nothing had happened between her and Tyler – that she'd pretended to be asleep when he'd run his hand along the side of her body; from her breasts to the curve of her hip, yet it seemed so wildly inappropriate that Blair refused to even acknowledge her relationship details.

Nate glanced along the hallway in the direction of his president's bedroom, sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I need to talk to you."

"Nate, I'm tired and I just want to go home, eat my way through Cassie's potato pie and go to bed."

"Please?"

He had puppy-dog-cute eyes and even in high school, when she exactly what he'd been doing with her best friend, she'd found them impossible to resist. She didn't blame him – he didn't know. She rolled her own eyes and conceded. "Okay. But-"

"Five minutes." He cut. "That's all."

He was silent when they got to his room and he closed the door, and his opening and closing of his mouth only served to push her boundaries higher.

"You asked me to come here to talk." She said finally. "So talk."

"Did you feel anything?"

"What?" She asked. "Just then? I told you months ago there was a draft in here but you didn't listen."

He chuckled slightly, but even the creased corners of his smile did nothing to encourage hers.

"At the Christmas party." He continued. "When we kissed, did you feel anything?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Her voice was cracking. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty?"

"No." Nate shook his head. "I just…I…"

When he faltered, Blair made a silent deal with herself to admit nothing. If he couldn't put into words what he felt – if he felt anything at all – the least she could do was keep quiet. Her weak knees and loss of breath wouldn't count as a secret if it was only her who knew.

"Sometimes." He started again. "Sometimes, you don't look happy. Not like you used to."

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and it didn't move.

"If you weren't happy with Tyler, with _anything_, would you tell me?" Nate asked. "We're friends, right?"

"Yes." _Lie one_.

"And if you'd felt something more than friends when we kissed, would you have told me?"

"Would _you_?"

Nate shook his head. "I asked you first. Would you have told me?"

"Yes." _Lie two_.

"So if I'd said that for me, it _wasn't_ just a mistletoe kiss; that I thought my heart was going to stop beating when we finally stopped, that ever since we got here I've wanted to do that; what would you have done?"

"I…" She cleared her throat. "I…"

He nodded, bowed his head. "Thought that might be the answer."

"Look, Nate-"

"It's alright." He nodded. "I get it."

She nodded, felt the lump in her throat press so hard that it made her want to throw up, and trailed her fingers over the wood of his furniture, her eyes pricking as she kept them staring at the shirts peeping out of the open drawer.

Nate's own fingers were too busy pulling at his skin in frustration and correct assumption to notice her gaze snap straight and her fingers clasp a box underneath his clothes.

"What's this?" She asked, running her fingertips over the long navy blue velvet box that had been nestling in his drawer.

"Nothing. Just…can you put it back please?"

"It's not nothing, it's in a jewellery box."

"Blair, I asked you to put it back."

It seemed lately (and always, really) that she wouldn't do a thing he asked, or advised, or wanted. She opened the box and gasped. "It's so beautiful."

Nate dipped his head in embarrassed agreement but held his hand out for the box.

"How come you never gave it to her?"

"What?" His expression was confused.

"Serena. How come you never gave her this necklace? We saw her at Thanksgiving."

"I didn't buy it for Serena." He replied. "Blair, I bought it for you."

It was the brunette's turn to wear a confused expression as they stared at each other without any explanation.

"For Christmas." He added.

"Then why didn't you give it to me?"

"I got it before the party. And then when we kissed, I didn't know if it would change things; if giving you the necklace after that would mean something it wasn't supposed to, or whether it would be crude or inappropriate."

Nate figured this was the most he'd ever talked about what he was thinking in his life. And it didn't feel good or exhilarating or calming. It was sad and depressing and embarrassing because he was admitting thoughts and feelings that she didn't share.

Still, he continued. "I wanted you to wear it without feeling guilty. And then I felt guilty for buying it in the first place."

After too long of not being able to say anything without interrupting, Blair's mouth suddenly seemed to stop working, and all she could manage was "Why?"

"I was hoping it would tell you all of this." He gestured between them. "So that I wouldn't have to."

She left without saying another word – without him saying another word or trying to stop her – and the sudden realisation that he'd told her everything he'd felt since December hit him harder than the thudding in his chest.

Blair knew he loved her. She hadn't even replied.

-

"It's open." Nate sighed as the knock on his door prevented him from putting away the crumpled shirt that was in his hand. It was past one in the morning and the last thing he needed was another member of the frat forcing him to go to a bar to get drunk and pick up women.

The door opened and it wasn't that. "Blair, hi."

"Do you have a blatant disregard for ironing?" She asked, curling her nose up at the shirts littering the floor. "Or even washing?" She continued, picking up a dirty shirt between her thumb and forefinger.

"Yeah, sorry about the mess." He smiled, more than a little embarrassed. "I've just been-"

"Moping?"

"I don't mope."

"Brooding?"

"I don't brood!"

She rolled her eyes. "You do, but it's rather endearing."

He sat down on the bed and Blair followed suit, smoothing down her coat first. "You look amazing."

She'd changed her outfit and her hairstyle since they'd last spoken five hours ago, and even though Nate couldn't remember what she'd been wearing before, he knew it wasn't that.

She smiled, took off her coat to reveal the lightest blue cashmere sweater he'd ever seen. It was so pale that it was almost white, and yet against her skin it had the slightest of hues, a scoop neck to show her bare neckline. "Thank you."

"Are you okay?"

"I had to break up with Tyler first." She explained, though it didn't necessarily answer the question Nate had asked. "Tell him that I didn't love him and that it wasn't fair to carry on like I wanted to be with him."

"Did you tell him about the Christmas party?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then-"

She cut him off, with her finger tracing his frown lines, removing them before she pressed her lips against his and that peppermint gloss taste was familiar again. Nate opened his eyes, blue and piercing and confused. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I have a new-found appreciation for mistletoe." She smiled, kissing him again. "And that I want you to fix that necklace in your drawer around my neck." Her eyes sparkled at his aghast expression, at his trembling hands. "And, Nathaniel Archibald. I'm saying that I want you."


	37. Sail Boats and Trench Coats

**A/N- **For those of you who were majorly pissed that there was no Chuck last chapter: I'm sorry. He's back today, and next chapter he'll be around much more. To **SweetSas, Edwardslover09, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Gaara-LOve, laurienlaurie, Sad., CalGrl93, brenda, 123, simplybored, PattyWoods, toocrazy, forbrighterdays, quibler149, Michaellllla, Mel, Lisa, Teddy Bear, viv3, Luvs2shop721, PacificRomance, SmearedLipGloss, Jessica, hyacinth, Nikki, jumper, xoxo - Amber, ChuckArchibaldForever, lalaland, ggxoxo, dkmm, guardian izz, YESSS=), Krazy4Spike, klara, RustyJimmy, codswallop, poochbello, bookworm455, :D, dysenchated2, voldemort14, xoxogg4lifexoxo, flipped, niinjjakitten, blair4eva, renonoelle, .Slater **and** gh** I LOVE YOU GUYS! Thank you so much for taking the time to review - you're awesome :)

Hope you all enjoy this next chapter, and **disclaimer alert! **I don't own Manchester Orchestra. Shocking, I know!**

* * *

**

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 36: Sail Boats and Trench Coats 

"You're doing it again." Cassie muttered, glancing up from her textbook. "You're making me want to vomit."

"Because I was fixing my hair?"

"No, because you were fixing your hair with a satisfied smile on your face."

"I'm not satisfied."

"Nate Archibald doesn't satisfy you?" Cassie asked. "Hell, if I wasn't dating Asher he sure as hell would satisfy me."

"Cassie!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow at her friend who was still positioning the fascinator in her hair. "Just saying."

"Well can you not?"

"Fine. But if Nate's not delivering the goods then maybe you should rethink this relationship."

"One: we're not in a relationship. We kissed okay? There was no 'let's be boyfriend and girlfriend' speech. And two, Nate's not…" She wrinkled her nose. "_Delivering the goods,_ because I don't want them delivered yet."

"You're abstaining?" Cassie asked, shocked.

"We haven't even gone on a date yet!" Blair returned, finally dropping her hands from her hair. "We don't want to rush things."

"Well you only have to rush to the good part. Then you can linger all you want."

"Well look how far _the good part_ got me with Chuck."

"But you know to be careful this time."

"I was careful the last time."

"Well then does Chuck have super sperm?"

"I don't like this conversation." Blair huffed glancing at the door where there was a knocking sound.

"We're not waiting for you to answer anymore." Asher told the girls as he and Nate walked into their apartment. "You take too long."

"How'd you know we were even here?" Cassie asked, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriend before kissing him. "And could you hear what we were saying?"

"No. Was it about us?"

Blair swallowed in relief. "Not everything's about you two."

"Well we heard your voices. My guess is that the apartments over the road can hear Blair's whining."

"I don't whine." The brunette replied indignantly.

"You do." Nate cut in with a smile. "But it's endearing."

Cassie looked between her two friends who were obviously having some sort of moment that she and Asher weren't part of. "Baby, I've got something to show you in my bedroom."

Asher grinned and followed his girlfriend out of the room.

"So are they really that obvious about having sex or was that the worst cover-plan ever to leave us alone?" Nate smiled.

"The latter." Blair replied. "Although with those two, you can never really be sure."

"So are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"Well tomorrow's Saturday so that means I'm either shopping or...shopping."

"Then how about you give your Amex a break so we can hang out?"

"_Hang out_?" Blair asked, part confused, part horrified.

Nate chuckled and rolled his eyes. "If I rephrased that as 'so we can go on a date' would you agree?"

She nodded with a smile and Nate laughed again.

"I thought Yale Blair would do things like hanging out now anyway."

"I do I guess." She replied. "I just don't like that phrase. It's unseemly."

"I'll remember that."

Blair frowned when Cassie's giggles filtered through the closed door, her expression matched by Nate's. "Are they-"

"Yeah."

"What time's your class today?"

Blair looked at her watch. "In two hours."

"Then do you want to grab some coffee? And just…not listen to that." He suggested, indicating the closed door.

She looked at her watch again and rolled her eyes when she heard more laughing. "I'll get my coat."

-

"So where are you taking Blair on your big date tomorrow night?" Asher asked Nate as they walked home from lacrosse practice.

"We're not going out tomorrow night." He replied. "I thought I'd take her on a day date."

Asher laughed.

"What?"

"Your 'big date' is a day date? Come on man, haven't you seen Just Friends?"

"No I haven't. And it's not a _big date_, it's just a date."

"With the girl you've been in love with for the last year and a half."

"I'm not in love with Blair."

Asher rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Look, are you going to help me or not?"

"Help you? With what?"

"I thought we'd go to Bowen Field."

"Ah, the place where she stripped to her underwear, got drunk and went night swimming in a lake. Romantic."

Nate shoved his friend playfully and shook his head. "I thought we could have a picnic by the lake and then-"

"So why do you need my help?"

"Well if you'd let me finish I'd have said that I thought we could race your boats."

"Aw man, I love you, but I don't love you enough to let you have my boats for the day."

"You really care about them that much?" Nate asked with a laugh. "They're motorised toys!"

"Collector's items!"

"Come on man please? Blair would love it."

"Blair doesn't strike me as a boat person."

"Well she would be if you let me borrow the damn things!"

"Fine." Asher relented. "But you can't leave them unattended. Somebody might steal them."

Nate put his hand to his heart. "I won't take my eyes off them, I swear."

"Ahh, maybe I should drop them off for you then pick them up an hour later."

"Are you kidding?"

"Come on, there'll be a picnic blanket and the girl you've been in love with for the last year. You're not going to keep your eyes on my boats."

"I wish you'd stop saying that." Nate mumbled. "And for the record, you just sounded really gay."

"You can borrow the boats." Asher said finally. "But prepare to lose a limb if anything happens to them."

-

The following morning was perfect February weather: not freezing cold, not warm either. There was enough sun in the sky to differentiate between light and shade on the grass and as Nate got closer to a beautifully-dressed waiting Blair, he found himself blushing a little.

"For some reason, I'm a little nervous." He mumbled as she walked beside him. "I think I've forgotten what to say to a girl when she looks this good."

She smiled, pressed her lips together and smiled again. "Tell her you like her trench coat."

"I like your trench coat."

They walked a couple streets until they reached familiar common ground. "I'm not swimming in that lake." Blair warned Nate as they walked through Bowen Field. She shuddered. "I can't believe I even did that."

"_I _can't believe I piggy-backed you all the way back to campus. In your underwear."

Blair groaned. "Thanks for the reminder."

"Well you don't have to worry – I didn't bring you here to swim." Nate replied. "We're going sailing."

"Are you kidding? It's a freaking pond!"

"No." He grinned. "Sailing with those." He pointed to Asher who offered a half-wave from under a tree down by the lake.

"Asher's here. Really?"

"He's not staying. I just needed him to set up the boats – they're his."

"Don't tell Cassie Nate did this for you." Asher asked when they reached him. "She'll be slating me for not doing the same."

"Or just making fun of you for having the boats in the first place." Blair suggested.

"If Nate and Cass didn't like you so much, I think I might hate you."

"No." She replied sarcastically. "If Archibald and Cassie didn't like me so much you wouldn't even know me."

"Strike." Nate laughed and slapped his friend on the back. "Thanks man."

"Yeah whatever. Just don't wreck the boats. And don't end your date too early. Cassie and I are planning on taking advantage of having her place to ourselves.

"Gross." Blair mumbled. "If you have sex in my bed, I'll kill you."

"Bye guys." Asher grinned. "Have fun."

"I mean it!" Blair shouted after him as he left the two alone. "I'll get Nate to kick your ass!"

-

"Why are you soaking wet?" Cassie asked, laughing at Blair's bedraggled appearance as her flatmate shivered her way to the bathroom.

"He shoved me into the freaking lake!" Blair fumed, pointing her finger at a bewildered Nate.

"Why?"

"Your boyfriend said I could kiss goodbye to my limbs if we broke his boats. Blair nearly stepped on one so I shoved her out the way." Nate replied. "But I shoved her the wrong way." He frowned. "If you know what I mean."

"Are the boats okay?"

"The boats are FINE!" Blair fumed again from inside the bathroom, her wet hair soaked against her freezing skin. "I am not!"

"Nice first date." Cassie smiled, pulling her dressing gown across her silk pyjamas as she flicked the kettle switch to make some hot chocolate. "I think two hours is a record."

"Okay baby, I got strawb…Nate." Asher trailed off, embarrassment flooding his cheeks as he put the box of strawberries he was holding bag in the bag they'd come from. "What are you doing here?"

"Blair nearly stood on your stupid boats, and to save them I pushed her out of the way and she ended up in the lake."

"First of all, my boats aren't stupid – you wanted to borrow them. And second, where are they? Are they okay?"

"YOUR FREAKING BOATS ARE FINE!" Blair screamed from the shower, her huffing audible above the flowing water.

-

"I don't even want to think about what you were going to do with this stuff." Blair mumbled, warm and dry in her fluffy bathrobe as the four of them devoured the strawberries Asher had brought in between sips of hot chocolate.

Cassie, having changed into her own more sensible robe rolled her eyes. "So does Nate get another shot at taking you on a date?"

The brunette pretended to consider before smiling and rolling her own eyes. "Only if this one involves a restaurant and water from a san Pellegrino bottle."

"Done." Nate grinned, adjusting his positioning so she could shift her back more comfortably against him.

"So are you girls up for a road trip to Princeton on Thursday?" Asher asked. "There's a lacrosse game and I was thinking we could all go up for a couple days seeing as these two have finally got it together and have overcome a Bowen Field mishap.

"Mishap?" Blair repeated. "I nearly drowned and might still develop hypothermia."

Cassie laughed. "Actually I have no class Friday so I could miss one on Thursday to spend the weekend in a different state."

"Blair?"

She shrugged. "Yeah me too."

"Is it sad that we only ever hang out with each other?" Cassie asked. "It's like Friends. The furthest we ever go is Chapel Street."

"Erm hello, we just agreed to go to Princeton." Blair replied.

"Yeah. Together."

"Do you _want_ other friends?" Asher joked, receiving a playful slap across the chest from his girlfriend.

"I was just saying."

-

"Chuck?" Blair frowned at her ex-boyfriend as she exited her bedroom the following evening.

"Waldorf." A coral cardigan-clad Chuck nodded appreciatively from his place on the girls' couch, his eyes scanning her up and down. "Why do you look like you're dressed for sex?"

"Didn't you hear?" Cassie smirked with a cocked eyebrow reminiscent of high school Chuck. "Nate's taking her out tonight."

Blair waited for his reaction, watched as his eyes never gave anything away.

"Sex on the first date." He mused. "Classy."

"You'd know."

"I _would_ know." He replied. "Nice to see you're taking pointers."

Blair rolled her eyes, still unable to fully remove the smile from her face. "I don't know why you're here, but as charming as this exchange is, I have to go."

"I think you're already gone." Chuck said, curling his lips into something of a semi-smirk. "You seem weirdly happy. Have you been drinking?"

"No."

"Must be the excitement of whoring yourself out to Nate. Have fun with your first-date sex."

"I will." She told him, opening the door to leave. "And FYI, this isn't our first date. It's our second."

"Well I bet that filled her with confidence." Cassie said sarcastically, smacking her hand across the back of Chuck's head after Blair had shut their apartment door.

"Waldorf loves a little game of cat and mouse."

"They're happy Chuck." She warned. "Don't screw with her."

"I know." He lifted a hand in defence. "I saw the smile."

"Good. Because it suits her."

"I know." Chuck repeated.

"So why _are_ you here? Please tell me it was for me to tell you that no, you shouldn't wear pastel if you're male and over two years old."

"If I wanted fashion advice you'd be the last person I'd come to." He bit with a cocked eyebrow. "Your boyfriend does a better job of wearing v-necks than you."

"Ooh bitchy."

He shrugged. "Or honest."

"Fine. Then what are you doing here. Honestly?"

"There's a party at the SA house on Thursday next week. It's invite only and I thought you'd want to go."

"You thought _I'd_ want to go or you want Blair to go?"

"I thought you'd _both_ like to go." Chuck replied. "Manchester Orchestra are playing."

"Manchester Orchestra are playing at the Sigma Alpha house next week?" Cassie asked doubtfully. "How is that even happening?"

"Joshua - the president is friends with one of the guys from the band's brothers. He called in a favour and got them."

"So you're telling me that a huge band is playing your frat house on a random Thursday night as a favour? How did I not know about this?"

"It's Joshua's girlfriend's birthday and they're her favourite band. He's proposing. That's why you haven't heard and that's why it's invite only. It's a secret."

"It's Nate and Asher's lacrosse game on Thursday." Cassie replied, part sad, part cross. "Blair and I promised them we'd go."

"Aren't they playing Hartford?"

Cassie shook her head. "That was last week. It's Princeton. None of us have class on Friday so we thought we'd spend a couple days checking out the city."

"So you're going to pass up Manchester Orchestra for New Jersey?"

"Can't you get Joshua to reschedule?"

"Reschedule his girlfriend's birthday?"

"Yeah, I guess not so much. Damn it."

"Well if you decide your little orgy seems boring in comparison, the party starts at eight." Chuck said, prising himself off of the couch. "Oh, and tell Waldorf that her trench coat tonight looked sumptuous."


	38. Sometimes I Still Need You

**A/N - **I know it's been forever and I'm sorry. However, uni dissertation is now out of the way, I have two assignments to go and then I'm a free woman, so lots of time to write! :) I won't waste time babling on so MASSIVE thanks to **UnwrittenGirl, forblueskies89 (Rosy! Hope you're okay - seems like I haven't talked to you in forever!) JYLlian, Brenda, xoxo - Amber, SweetSas, m, Heavenlydoll, RustyJimmy, LittleRed22, laurienlaurie, Bethany, Quibbler149 (btw, I have the same problem of wanting her to be with the other one haha!) Gaara-LOve, Blood Red Kiss of Death, flipped, CalGrl93, :D, lepetiterose, xoxogg4lifexoxo, Michaelllla, Krazy4Spike, jame, Edwardslover09, luvs2shop721, renonoelle, miazmija, sasha-yl27, **and **niinjakiiten **for reviewing last chapter (which seems so long ago)

No further ado, here we are :)

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 37: Sometimes I Still Need You

"Your ass is in so much trouble." Cassie smirked as she opened the girls' apartment door to a lone Nate. "And where is my much-hotter-than-you boyfriend?"

Nate frowned. "I don't hang out with Asher _all _the time. And why am I in trouble?"

"Blair's sick."

"Sh-"

"Yeah." Cassie grinned. "Last night she blew her way through an entire box of Kleenex in two hours."

"If I just leave now would you pretend I didn't come round?"

"That's going to get you an even bigger ass-kicking."

"Archibald?" They heard Blair cough.

Cassie grinned again. "Guess you'd better go in."

"I officially hate you." Blair managed to get out in between sneezes. "This is all your fault."

"That you're sick?"

"I have pneumonia because you pushed me in that stupid lake."

Nate chuckled slightly. "You do not have pneumonia. And I didn't _push_ you in the lake – you fell."

"Because you shoved me out the way!" She huffed before being consumed by a fit of coughing. "I can't believe Asher's boats were more important to you than your girlfriend."

Nate's lips curled into a smile. "Girlfriend?"

"I mean…I" She was broken off by another coughing fit and then Nate's lips.

"My girlfriend's sick." He smiled before receiving a weak slap across his arm.

"You think me being sick is fun?"

"No." He replied. "I think you being my girlfriend is fun."

Blair smiled at him before remembering her cold. "Well your girlfriend is pissed at you. How fun is that?"

"Well when she wants to make up it should be _very_ fun."

Blair rolled her eyes. "Forget it. You've ruined my Princeton trip. Actually, you've ruined your own Princeton trip. You're going to be the third wheel with the happy couple."

"You're not coming to Princeton tomorrow?"

"If you think I'm going to cheer you on while I'm freezing cold and unable to breathe through my nose you can think again."

"I'll get you vapo rub?" Nate offered perching precariously on the edge of Blair's bed. "Or Pepto Bismol? Midol?"

"Midol is for period cramp relief." She grunted.

"Theraflu?"

"I'm not coming. My head hurts. My arms ache, my legs ache, my throat's sore and my nose feels like it's going to explode." Nate was practically thrown from the bed as Blair was consumed by yet another fit of coughing. "And it's your fault."

"How are your boats?" Nate asked Asher as they walked to lacrosse practice.

"Well they're okay I guess but I'm never lend-"

"Good." Nate faux-huffed as he shoved his friend playfully. "My girlfriend hates me but as long as your boats are fine-"

"Your girlfriend? That didn't take long."

"Yeah, well now my _girlfriend_ isn't coming to Princeton for the weekend because of your freakish obsession."

"They're not a freakish obsession. They're collector's items and when they pay for Cassie's engagement ring you'll be in awe of what a good investment I made."

"Dude, you're getting engaged?"

"Not now." Asher replied with a grin as he slung his sports bag over his left shoulder from his right. "But I've got to lock her down before graduation right?"

"Shit, I never knew you had it in you." Nate laughed.

"Just because it took you over a year to tell Blair how you felt doesn't mean I'm the same. I'd be crazy not to marry her. I mean, she can make lasagne and she actually _likes_ sex."

Nate laughed again and shook his head.

"You loser." Asher smirked.

"What?"

"You haven't done it with Blair yet have you?"

"_Done it_? What are we in high school?"

"You've been in love with her for a year, you took her on a day date where you pushed her in a lake and she got soaking wet and you didn't capitalise on shower sex, you took her to dinner to make up for it and you didn't get courtesy sex? I'm actually ashamed of you Archibald."

"You sound like Chuck." Nate replied. "And this is Blair we're talking about. The last thing on her mind after I've pushed her in a lake _accidentally_ is going to be shower sex."

Asher laughed aloud again. "And now you can't even get regular sex after you've officially become a couple because she's sick? This shit couldn't write itself."

"I hope you realise how all of this is your fault."

He shook his head. "I'm not getting the blame for your clumsy hand. Or for the fact that you're not getting any."

"I hate you. Just so you know, I'm freezing you out at practice today." Nate replied with a playful shove of his teammate.

"You could freeze me out and I'd still play better than you. I'm on fire."

"You might as well stop walking now. I don't think your head is going to fit through the locker room door."

"You're jealous."

Nate laughed and shoved Asher again. "You suck."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Cassie asked Blair for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I don't mind."

"Go!" Blair croaked from beneath the duvet. "And make Nate feel guilty."

"I heard that." The boy in question replied as he entered her bedroom from the living room.

"Good."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"So _now_ you're worried I might die?"

"You have a cold Blair, not a disease."

"You're making me rethink our relationship." The brunette answered back. "You should be at my beck and call."

"He is anyway." Asher laughed from the living room. "He was whipped before you even got together."

"Thanks for that." Nate replied sarcastically.

"You're welcome. Now can we go?"

Blair rolled her eyes at Nate and Cassie. "Go."

"Call me if you need anything." Nate told her, kissing her forehead.

"So if I run out of Kleenex you'll come all the way back from New Jersey to get me some?"

"Run out? I practically bought the entire contents of the pharmacy yesterday."

"I was being sarcastic."

"Oh."

"Go Nate." Blair instructed. "I hope you're miserable without me."

"You look whoriffic." Chuck mused as he stood unannounced in the open doorway of Blair's bedroom.

"Jesus Chuck!" Blair jumped, sending an avalanche of used tissues cascading down the sides of the comforter. "How did you even get in here? And don't you know how to knock? Or at least call first?"

"Cassie left me her key so I could check on you." He spoke slowly, leaning against the door frame. "Tell me, does everyone wear Agent Provocateur when they're sick or is that just a Waldorf special?"

"They should employ you in hospitals." Blair wheezed. "You'd make terminally sick people die faster."

"How you must have missed these little exchanges." He continued with the smallest of grins. "Tell me, what _do_ you talk about with Archibald? Lacrosse? Hair straighteners? His gay best friend?"

"For the hundredth time, Asher is not gay, and what my boyfriend and I talk about is none of your business. Now can you please leave? I have a headache and you're only making it worse."

"Perhaps you'd be in less of a hurry for me to leave if I told you why I was here."

"I thought you were here to check up on me?" Blair asked. "Or by 'check up' did you mean 'perv'?"

"Surprisingly no." Chuck replied. "Although I was unaware of the treat in store. Perhaps if I'd known you'd only be wearing a scrap of silk I might have prepared a deluge of witticisms."

"All of the sneezing is making me hot." Blair huffed.

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "And I never thought sneezing could be a turn on. Clearly I was wrong."

She raised a tired eyebrow "Chuck."

"I know how much you love Manchester Orchestra and there's a really good view of the makeshift stage from my window-"

"No."

"What?"

"I can't walk to your frat house like this."

"As much as I wish you would, I figured that would be your answer. I have a cab waiting outside here."

"A cab?"

"I don't have my driver on call on weeknights. And besides, the last 'ride' I saw you and Nate take together was a piggy-back. I presume you'll find a taxi several steps up from that."

"So you just presumed I'd want to go with you?"

"Is that unusual?"

"For you, I guess not."

"So I can lure you from your sick bed with the promise of an excellent view, some chicken soup and a bottle of hardcore aspirin?"

"Double strength?"

Chuck smirked. "Triple"

"That might be the best offer I've had all day."

"Your nose looks like Rudolph's. It'll be the _only_ offer you've had all day."

"And the chicken soup?"

"I had Union League make it for me to take out."

"I don't re-heat food."

"I know. I had them put it in a Thermos."

"Couldn't you have put a sweater on? I feel like your pimp." Chuck grumbled as he ushered Blair under a sea of blankets along the corridor to his room.

"I'm boiling!" Blair whimpered from underneath. "And these blankets are making me feel worse. I can't believe I let you bring me here when I'm sick."

"You have a cold."

"What I have is pneumonia and a pain in my-"

"Sweet, Bass you did _not_ just smuggle your best friend's girlfriend over here!?" One of Chuck's housemates interrupted, attempting to high five the unimpressed recipient."

"I didn't smuggle her, she's here to watch the band." He replied. "Nate's in New Jersey."

"I'm sick." Blair huffed, exaggerating a cough that then turned into one she couldn't stop. "And it's highly contagious."

The other guy left pretty quickly and Blair eyed the newly-angled bed, the bottle of scotch accompanied by two glasses. "This better not be a set-up Bass."

"I bought extra pillows so you can watch from the bed." He told her closing the door.

"And the two glasses?"

"Whisky's good for colds."

"I have pneumonia."

"You have a cold."

"I hate you."

"That's nothing new."

"You're getting on my nerves."

"Your point?"

"Open the window." She mumbled. "I want to hear everything."

She was asleep before the fifth song, missed her favourite and he thought about waking her up just so he could listen as she hummed along to 'I Can Feel a Hot One'. He left her though, closed the window slowly so as not to let it bang and poured a glass of scotch: his fifth – one for each song so far – so he could get just drunk enough that seeing her in the silk creation she had on didn't make him want to hurl himself out of the window to 'Girl with Broken Wings'. Chuck watched as her chest heaved up and down and her mouth slightly parted each time she let another breath out. He reached out to reposition her blankets but stopped midway in the realisation that the only one to do so should be her boyfriend; the one she'd named earlier. He exhaled and reached for the chord of the blind instead, pulling it so that the material fell to leave only red lights dancing around the room.

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Five Doors Down


	39. Nobody's Game

**A/N – **First off, I need to apologise for the lack of differentiation between scenes in the last couple chapters. Something weird keeps happening when I upload my documents and things get switched around. I thought I'd sorted it but clearly not. I'm trying X's this week so if they're not in place, blame FF. Secondly, shout outs go **Gaara-Love, , kkrchua, mel, pzyche08, schizoOntheDancefloor, luvs2shop721, gossip girl 3, RustyJimmy, UnwrittenGirl, Blood Red Kiss of Death, ggloverxx19, Krazy4Spike, wrighthangal, laaa, laurienlaurie, dysenchanted2, silversin80, flipped, sailor cyanide, Bethany, Rf, LittleRed22, SweetSas, JYLlian, CalGrl93, quibbler149, **and **yy **to for being excellent little reviewers. Thanks guys :) Here it is…

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 38: Nobody's Game

"You owe Nate his own personal victory party." Asher told Blair as he slung his sports bag against the bottom of the kitchen counter. "He was on fire during the game."

"Your own party?" Blair asked, raising an eyebrow. "Lucky I made that trip to Great Expectations the other day."

"Was that Blair Waldorf making a blatant reference to sex?" Asher questioned. "I'm a little shocked."

"And I'm a little uncomfortable." Nate added. "Can we move on? How are you feeling today?" He asked, offering his brunette girlfriend a short kiss. "Did you beat the pneumonia while we were gone?"

"Yes, no thanks to you."

"Then that's good news for next weekend."

"Next weekend?"

"Didn't you get Serena's message?" Nate asked. "She called me while we were in New Jersey. She's coming to visit. She told me she'd left you a message."

Blair frowned. "Serena called you?"

"Because she couldn't get hold of you. She said it rung once and then went straight to voicemail."

"Which day did she call?"

"Thursday night"

"Why would it have…oh."

"What?"

"Chuck must have cancelled the call when I fell asleep."

"Chuck was here?"

"He came to check I was okay."

"I bet."

"Nate"

"Oh come on, this is Chuck we're talking about." He replied. "It's not like he doesn't have an agenda."

"Do you think we should-" Asher mouthed at Cassie as he pointed to the door.

The blonde nodded back and grabbed Asher's sports bag. "Yeah."

"Where are you guys going?" Blair asked as the pair headed out of the door.

"Um…my place?" Asher replied. "I should probably eat out of my own refrigerator for once."

"And he always eats out of ours so I'll eat out of his today." Cassie added. "I think I saw some apple pie or cheesecake or something…We're just going to…" She looked back at Blair and Nate's expressions. "Yeah. See you guys."

"So are we arguing about this or are we going to remember that this isn't high school anymore?" Blair asked as Nate softened. "Besides, if you're mad at me, I might not feel like throwing you a victory party."

Nate grinned. "My _own_ victory party?"

"That's right Archibald. And if there are no other guests, I guess all of my attention will be on you."

His grin grew wider and she kissed him softly. "How long will it take you to plan this party?"

"Well, seeing as the poster couple are busy eating questionable puddings, I'd say five minutes?"

"In that case," Nate looked to his watch, "I'm a little early."

Blair shrugged and smiled. "You know I like it when you're on Waldorf time."

X

"Not that I'm complaining," Cassie began as she and Blair walked along George Street with matching coffee cups, "but I haven't seen Chuck and his pastel cardigans lately."

"You mean, not since you left him your key and asked him to check up on me while you were in New Jersey?"

"Should've guessed he'd tell you I asked him to do that."

"Yeah, and he took the opportunity to have a good gawp at my night attire."

Cassie grimaced slightly. "Tell me that for once, you were wearing normal-person pyjamas."

"I most certainly was _not _wearing pyjamas. And if, by normal-person types you mean the flannelette kind with pictures of pandas on the pants like you wear, you are clearly in need of a dictionary to define the term 'normal'." Blair replied in semi-disgust. "Granted, I _was_ wearing one of my smaller pieces, but all of the sneezing was making me hot!"

The blonde laughed and shook her head. "I bet Chuck couldn't believe his luck."

"It's nothing he hasn't seen before."

"Yeah, and I bet it's nothing he wouldn't like to see again."

Blair frowned. "Did that just even make sense?"

"Yes."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Blair Waldorf." They heard a voice smirk as they rounded the street corner, faces flushed from the still-cold early March wind. "I see your highly-contagious illness has been transferred."

Cassie frowned as Blair finally recognised the voice as belonging to Chuck's frat brother: the same Chuck's frat brother as she'd encountered while draped in blankets on the previous Thursday night.

"Are you feeling better?" He continued.

"Not that I'd thank you for asking," Blair began with a sharp intake of breath, "but I'm feeling much better."

"Glad to hear it. Although perhaps you'd go back to the Sigma Alpha house and re-catch it from Chuck. The smell of vapo-rub penetrating my walls is making me want to hurl. And that's before the beer."

"I'll give it a miss." She replied coldly. "I appreciate your concern."

"Okay, are you going to tell me what the hell that was or am I going to keep guessing wrongly until you get really cross and then just tell me anyway?" Cassie hissed as Blair ushered her away.

The brunette waited until Chuck's housemate was no longer in sight before replying. "I might have stayed at Chuck's on Thursday night."

"Oh my God." Cassie's eyes were wide. "What did you do?"

"Well, aside from attempting to watch Manchester Orchestra play but falling asleep after three songs, I took the triple-strength aspirin Nate wouldn't let me have, and tried to force down some chicken soup."

"And Chuck just made you some chicken soup?"

"He had Union League make it for him to take out."

"_Blair_."

"Cassie." The brunette returned with a sigh. "Look, I liked the band and he was only offering what Nate wouldn't give me."

"Sex?"

"Painkillers."

"Oh."

"And it was the most normal we've been since the whole…you know. And nobody else was there and for once I didn't want to feel like the abortion was hanging over us."

"Did he make a pass at you?"

She shook her head. "No. He was just…being Chuck and I miss that so much."

"You miss it enough not to tell your boyfriend you stayed there?"

"It's not worth having a fight over because nothing happened. You know what Nate's like. Just…don't tell him."

"Blair Waldorf do _not_ make me promise to lie to your boyfriend."

Blair stared at her wide-eyed, innocent as she titled her head to one side. "Please Cass. I don't want anything to ruin where we are now."

"And where are you? Second base? Tell me you've got to third?"

She simply gave a satisfied smile and rolled her eyes as the blonde clapped excitedly.

"Oh my God, how was it? Was it hot? I bet it was like a movie wasn't it? All kissing and-"

"Please stop talking, you're grossing me out."

"And you're grossing me out with your lack of details! I want a play-by-play of the event."

"One: WTF! And two: Nate would kill me if he found out I told you. And besides, we've had sex before so-"

"Yeah but not like this."  
"What do you mean? You weren't even there."

"Was it sex or was it making love?" Cassie tried again.

"I refuse to answer. I think you need referring to a shrink."

X

"You look like crap." Blair commented as Chuck flopped down in the seat beside her.

"I feel worse." He replied, throwing a couple aspirin in his mouth and swallowing without water. "And your sympathy overwhelms me by the way."

"You're, right. As someone who was ridiculed for my choice of sleepwear while sick, you'd think I'd be more compassionate."

"You'll find that 'ridiculed' is the wrong word. Appreciated is more like it."

"Well what I'd appreciate is you using less vapo rub. If I was sitting at the other side of this lecture hall I could smell you."

"It's the only thing that enables me to breathe." Chuck replied curtly. "This morning I had to use my decorative handkerchief to stem the flow of mucus. I officially hate you."

"Yeah, well I'll hate you more if I re-catch this cold before next weekend."

"Well I don't want to be sick for Serena's visit either but thanks to you I probably will be."

"How come everyone knew about Serena's visit but me?"

"She called you the other night but you were asleep so I cancelled the call before it woke you."

"I slept through Manchester Orchestra playing right outside your window but I can see how you thought my ringtone might wake me."

"I was being considerate which is more than I can say for you. Besides, I was sick of hearing you blow your nose. I'm surprised it's still attached to your face."

"Insult me again and yours won't be."

They sat through an hour of statistics with almost-constant sneezing or coughing from Chuck. He'd demolished the contents of her thermos in five minutes: honey and lemon to keep away any germs, and added another two paracetemol to his already overdose of drugs. She'd decided during their break, after already having missed an hour of what the professor was saying, that she would insist on accompanying Chuck back to the Sigma Alpha house in order to make sure the drowsiness caused by the copious amounts of painkillers wouldn't get him into trouble.

"No scotch." Blair instructed as she caught sight of the half-empty bottle in Chuck's room.

"It helps me sleep."

"It kills your white blood cells and you'll stay sick."

Their bickering was interrupted by Cassie calling Blair's cell to check whether she and Nate would be available for a double dinner date with her and Asher.

"Where are you? I thought you were on a lecture break?"

"I'm at Chuck's." The brunette replied. "He's sick and has taken way too many aspirin to be walking alone through the city."

"I'm touched you care so much." The boy in question mumbled, reaching for a spare glass beside the scotch bottle.

"I don't, it's just part of my 'being-a-good-person' façade." She returned, snatching the glass off of him with a scowl.

"How sick?" Cassie asked. "Wearing pyjamas during the day sick?"

Blair took a glance at her ex-boyfriend who was pulling a pair of pyjamas out of his drawer, and attempted to stifle a giggle. "Definitely."

The blonde on the other end of the line laughed. "I was on my way to see Asher but I'm stopping off at Sigma Alpha first. I need to see this."

"Plaid?" Cassie laughed on entry as she caught sight of Chuck's pyjamas under the comforter. "Really?"

"I cannot believe you've turned me into a spectacle!" He huffed to Blair as Cassie pulled out her cell. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a picture." She replied. "There's no way I'm not capitalising on this scene."

X

"She looks like something from a movie." Cassie mumbled to Asher as they watched Serena blow through the entrance to the arrivals lounge. Her hair was almost the colour of white sand, her eyes, a turquoise blue sea sparkled when she saw Blair running up towards her.

"S you look stunning!" Blair gushed as she hugged her friend, her arms in their cream cashmere cardigan sleeves visibly many shades lighter. "You're even more blonde and tanned than before" She frowned. "If that's even possible."

"Thank you." Serena replied with her California smile. "I've been spending a lot of time surfing."

"Serena." Nate smiled as he embraced the blonde with a huge bear hug, picking her up so that her feet in their tan boots were ever-so-slightly off of the floor. "It's really good to see you."

"It's really good to see you too." She smiled as Nate placed her back on the ground and she turned to Cassie and Asher. "And you guys. Where's Chuck?"

"He's sick." Blair replied with a small smirk.

"Yeah." Cassie added with a grin. "As in, wearing plaid pyjamas during the day sick."

Serena frowned with a small smile. "That's given me a mental picture I didn't want."

Nate nodded in agreement. "Me too. And I've seen him in pyjamas before."

"So moving on." Blair began. "Are you hungry? Cass and I were going to make ratatouille before we go out for drinks."

"B, you cook?" Serena asked in surprise.

She shrugged faux-nonchalantly. "I can knock up a couple things."

"Their lasagnes are awesome." Nate smiled, wrapping his arm around Blair before planting a kiss on her forehead as they walked to the exit.

"So if the girls cook, what do you guys do?" Serena asked Nate and Asher who looked a little sheepish.

"Uh-"

"They stay out of the way." Cassie replied. "Watching Americas's Next Top Model usually."

"Some days we bring you guys take-out!" Asher replied indignantly.

"I never had you down as someone who'd watch trash tv Nate."

"It's not trash." He replied. "It has models on it."

Serena looked to Blair who simply rolled her eyes.

"You know what?" Nate started. "Asher and I might go to that little bakery on Chapel Street that you guys love and get bread to go with dinner."

Cassie raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I'm not going to argue. I love their poppy-seed pains."

"And maybe I'll bring you a maple pecan pastry." He continued with a smirk. "For extra brownie points."

X

"Where's Blair?" Nate asked as Serena let him in to her and Cassie's apartment the following morning.

"She went to take Chuck some of the leftovers from last night. She said she wouldn't be long."

Nate frowned and sat down on the couch. "Oh."

"Is that a good 'oh' or…"

"Whatever." Nate shrugged.

Serena's lips curved into a half-smile. "Are you jealous?"

"Why would I be jealous? I just don't see why she needs to take her ex-boyfriend food at 10am."

"Maybe because he's sick." She suggested with a raised eyebrow, laughing as she rubbed his arm gently. "I can't believe you're jealous of Chuck!"

"I heard my name" Chuck drawled as Blair opened her apartment door to reveal a pensive Nate and a slightly over-tactile Serena. "I take it you're catching up?"

Nate frowned. "I thought you were sick."

"I was." He shot a glare at the girl beside him. "No thanks to Blair. Although I guess she kind of redeemed herself with her nurse act the other day."

Nate looked at the pair of them. "Nurse act?"

"My flight was fine Chuck." Serena interjected with wide eyes. "Thanks for asking."

"You look good." He nodded towards his step-sister. "A little bit OC for a van der Woodsen but whatever."

Blair placed her purse on the counter before Nate got up to peck her softly. "Morning."

"Morning." She replied a little coldly. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Whether Chuck would be well enough to join us today."

The brunette eyed her boyfriend suspiciously, silently noting how his head was a little dipped, how he didn't quite look her in the eye, how he hadn't flinched when Serena's fingers stayed put on his arm when she and Chuck had walked through the door. She attempted a satisfied smile as a cat patterned pyjama-wearing Cassie entered the room from her bedroom, a sheepish Asher in tow.

"Nice sleepwear." Chuck smirked. "You have a grudge against plaid, yet you think cats are acceptable?"

"I don't have a grudge against plaid." Cassie replied. "But seeing you wearing it means that I can't even look at Asher seriously if he were to wear it."

"I understand it must be hard when your boyfriend's clearly gay-"

"How has nobody punched you yet this morning?" Asher interjected, placing his arm around his girlfriend. "Besides, I think she looks cute."

Chuck shrugged. "It's a well-known fact that homosexual men like cats."

"Well I think your pyjamas are cute too Cassie." Serena smiled.

"Perhaps you should both take a leaf out of Waldorf's book." Chuck suggested. "Silk negligees always go down much better."

Blair swallowed the lump in her throat as Nate rubbed the back of his neck rather harshly. "Let's move on." She glared at Chuck before turning to Cassie and Asher. "Do you guys want to join us for breakfast?"

They looked at each other before Asher shrugged. "Apartment to ourselves? I think we'll skip it."

X

The four of them (plus Cassie and Asher occasionally) spent the weekend walking the streets of New Haven, enjoying the long-awaited March sunshine while eating ice cream or drinking coffee, or forcing Serena to sample the maple pecan plaits the girls loved so much. On Saturday night, the poster girl for California introduced them to Mudslides, Blair re-introduced them to raspberry Bellini's, Chuck forced scotch samples on them, Cassie asked for copious rounds of Amaretto Sours, and Asher and Nate grumbled until they were presented with bottles of Budweiser.

Serena noticed tension between Chuck and Blair; Chuck noticed tension between Nate and Serena; Cassie noticed the way Blair bit her bottom lip every time Nate smiled at Serena's laughing; Nate noticed the way Chuck looked at Blair when she pulled back from kissing the maple syrup off of his lips, and Asher noticed nothing save for the way Cassie's head turned toward the rings in the jewellers' window; the way she slowed her steps down ever-so-slightly to scan the offerings before turning her attention back to the other five in a way that seemed as though she'd never tuned out.

They went to the airport together with Cassie and Asher staying back at Alpha Delta Phi house so as not to invade on any time the four old friends might want together.

"You promise me you'll visit me in California again?" Serena asked at the airport. "I'll give you guys surfing lessons."

"As tempting as surfing sounds" Blair began, with no attempt to disguise her lack of wanting to take part, "I'll pass. But I'm always game for lying on the beach."

"Chuck?" She asked.

"I don't think I even need to answer the surfing thing." He replied before smiling a half-smile. "But if you try not to get spiked again, I wouldn't mind sampling some more of the West Coast's liquor offerings."

She clapped her hands happily and turned to Nate. "What about you Archibald, you game?"

He nodded with a smile. "Definitely."

"Okay then it's settled. 4th July weekend you're coming to Berkeley!"

They nodded in agreement as Serena's flight number was called before they took it in turns to hug her goodbye. Blair tried not to let it bother her that her friend saved hugging Nate until last, that her eyes were closed, that her smile was wider and her fingertips were resting in his arm once again. She didn't look at Chuck; knew he'd have noticed, and so when they pulled apart, she only gave the most heart-felt smile she could before lacing her fingers with those of her boyfriend and offering a wave with her free hand.

X

"I must thank you for your generous pneumonia donation Archibald." Chuck muttered after sneezing five times in a row. "Throwing Waldorf in a lake in winter is the stuff chivalry is made of."

The brunette shot him a glare. "You'd know."

"Now, now, that's no way to talk to the person who provided you a gallery seat at an intimate Manchester Orchestra concert."

Nate frowned. "What?"

"Waldorf and I enjoyed a little music while you were careering around a lacrosse field last week. Well, I enjoyed the music." Chuck added. "Your non-appreciative girlfriend fell asleep."

Nate gritted his teeth before turning to Blair. "I thought you were sick."

"I _was_ sick."

"Yet you managed to watch a band?"

Chuck smirked a little at the corner of his mouth as the cab trundled to a stop in the Sunday afternoon traffic. "In her defence Archibald, she _was _sick. She had to use my bed to rest-"

"Chuck." Blair warned, not quite strongly enough as Nate inched closer to his (perhaps former) best friend.

"You need to back off."

He scoffed. "Are you jealous?"

Nate refused to reply, Blair didn't dare, and the rest of the journey back was silent save for Chuck's sarcastic remarks about how everything was looking so much better since spring had begun its approach.

They disembarked the cab at the Sigma Alpha house, even after Chuck's insistence that they drop Blair off first. Nate had shaken his head, the only words leaving his mouth to be "I'll walk her back."

"I thought you were done with Constance games." Nate muttered as she tried to link her arm with his, only to be grasping air as he side-stepped slightly to the right.

"I am."

"So what was Thursday night?"

"Nothing."

He nodded coldly. "So if it was nothing, why didn't you tell me?"

Blair swallowed the lump in her throat. "Because he's my ex-boyfriend and I knew you'd react like this."

"You slept there! How else am I supposed to react?"

"Maybe in the composed way that I did when I watched Serena trail your arm with her fingers, or when she hugged you for like _ten years_ at the airport earlier."

"You're being ridiculous."

"Really?" She scoffed. "And you're not?"

"If this is all a game to you then we might as well just end it now." Nate shot back. "Because nobody ever wins."

She stopped walking, turned to look him square in the eye which made him uncomfortable enough to shift his weight from foot to foot as she pursed her lips. "You should go home. I can walk myself."


	40. A Stick In The Spokes

**A/N- **To **Comewhatmay.x, Pink54345, JYLlian, SpyKid18, ally C, Heavenlydoll, CalGrl93, Michaelllla, UnwrittenGirl, hyacinth, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Rainbow Dust, LaurienLaurie, Nate3, SchizoOntheDancefloor, SmearedLipGloss, pzyche08, GossipGirl2780, BassBillionaire, SweetSas, GGlover-1, Rf, flipped, Gaara-LOve, Krazy4Spike, quibbler149, **THANKYOU all for your reviews. You really make me smile with your couple debates :)

Enjoy x x x

**

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**

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 39: A Stick in the Spokes

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or are you going to pretend that you're fine so I feel like I have to buy you pastries and then you tell me off for making you fat?" Cassie asked Blair as the brunette slammed their apartment door and proceeded to throw down her purse on the kitchen counter.

"Nate decided that, because I didn't tell him I stayed at Chuck's the other week, we might as well end our relationship."

"Oh."

"I know. I forgot how much of an ass he can be."

The blonde chocked a little on her water as she laughed, tilting her head at Blair's exaggerated pout of pain.

"You think the end of my relationship is funny?"

"No. I think your beliefs are."

"What?"

"Well if Asher had stayed at his ex-girlfriend's house and not told me, I think I'd be pretty pissed off."

"Are you taking Nate's side?"

She laughed again, rolling her eyes. "Come on Blair, there aren't going to be any sides! Nate loves you. You're not breaking up, you're just fighting."

"I don't like fighting." She huffed. "I like ice cream in the park and surprise brioche at breakfast".

"You like being in a Disney movie then."

It was the brunette's turn to roll her eyes. "This coming from one half of New Haven's poster couple."

"Asher and I fight!"

"Yeah, about who gets to have the last piece of French bread with your soup. This is a proper fight about something that I actually did wrong."

"Ah!" Cassie raised her eyebrows. "So you admit it."

"Urgh, fine!" She huffed again. "But it was no worse than the length of time Nate let Serena hug him at the airport. If there'd been superglue involved, it would have been the end of two separate people."

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"You weren't there." Blair pouted. "They lingered."

"I heard that you get five years in jail for lingering in Arkansas."

"You're making fun of me." Blair narrowed her eyes in semi-disbelief. "I'm horrified and slightly confused at the same time."

Cassie laughed and closed the textbook she'd been studying from. "I'm in need of lingerie. Are you coming?"

The brunette curled her nose. "And help you pick out things that I _know_ are going to be discarded on the floor of your bedroom tonight? I'll pass."

"Really?" Cassie raised her eyebrow. "Well I was thinking about getting that purply-blue leopard print set we saw in the win-"

"Stop talking." Blair winced. "You've made your point. I'll come."

The blonde quickly grabbed her purse before Blair closed their door behind them. "Do you really hate leopard-print that much?"

"Enough that if I was president, I'd pass a bill ordering the burning of any garments with a single trace of the stuff."

"Blair Waldorf, I've said it before and I'll say it again. You're slightly bizarre."

"No." She replied. "I have style."

"Just text her!" Asher urged. "Watching you mope is pissing me off!"

"And watching you suck at lacrosse that bad is pissing me off!" Their coach added, passing the boys in the locker room. "Whatever it is Archibald, sort it!"

"See? Even coach says you need to man up."

"Just like you did when you and Cassie broke up?"

"You haven't broken up, you're just fighting. And from what I've heard, it's not unlike your relationship the first time." He pulled his shirt on. "And it's definitely not unlike Blair."

"And she needs to be the one to admit she was in the wrong."

"You're jealous over something that was nothing."

"If Cassie slept over at her ex-boyfriends would you say it was nothing?"

"Fine." Asher rolled his eyes. "I was only trying to help you sort things out quicker than you will do."

"I should've punched Chuck."

"Now that I'd agree with."

"You wanna do it?"

"Nah" Asher sighed. "My right hand is my punching hand and I need it to hold my stick properly for the game tomorrow."

"Remember what happened when you were moping over Archibald in junior year?" Chuck drawled with a smirk in Blair's ear, taking a seat opposite her at the table in the library.

"Screw you."

"Exactly."

"I meant get lost. Leave."

"I'm greatly enjoying this whole Manchester Orchestra debacle. Nate still not talking to you?"

"I'm trying to study."

"Well it turns out that we're studying for the same test. Perhaps you'd like to come over to the house and-"

"Finish that sentence and I won't even think about jamming my Rossis up your-"

"Waldorf." He smirked again. "I forgot how good desperation looks on you."

"I'm not desperate."

"You keep checking your phone."

"I always check my phone."

"Your foot's shaking."

"I'm annoyed."

"Because Nate hasn't called."

"Because you're here. Again."

"It gives me a small amount of satisfaction to watch you like this."

"I hate you."

"You might say that." Chuck replied. "But it's a lie. You're enjoying this."

"What in the world makes you think that?"

"I'm the first person who hasn't you to call Nate. Or text him. Or go over there for that matter."

"That's because you have no idea of how to conduct a relationship."

"Perhaps I need to practice on someone."

"Go fu…Nate." Blair trailed off mid-sentence as she noticed her boyfriend stood beside her. "I-"

"I came to apologise." Nate said with a cold, slight laugh. He shrugged. "But now I don't know why I bothered."

"We're studying Archibald." Chuck replied with his trademark sarcastic burr.

Nate scoffed. "You don't even have a book."

"Chuck." Blair widened her eyes in obvious desperation this time. "Would you just leave?"

"Don't bother." Nate cut in. "I'm going anyway. I'm obviously wasting my time."

"I didn't ask him to sit here!" Blair pleaded, no hushed voices this time, resulting in a number of other students turning around. "He just…came."

"Doesn't seem much like you wanted him to leave."

"She asked me to." Chuck conceded. "I didn't."

"This true?" He asked Blair, who swallowed semi-gratefully.

"Yes."

Nate nodded and rounded the table silently until he was face-to-face with Chuck. "If she asks you to leave, you leave."

"Come on Archibald." He raised an eyebrow. "You and I both know that Waldorf doesn't-"

His reply was cut short by Nate's fist which blew into the side of his mouth. Chuck smirked bloodily as the librarian hurried her way across the room toward them. Nate repeated his words. "If she asks you to leave, you leave."

Blair's eyes were wide with fear. "Nate-"

"And you should know better. Don't call me."

"Nate please!" She pleaded again, louder this time as he made his way out of the doors again. "Nate!"

The days that passed were slow, each one feeling every one of their 24 hours long. When they turned to weeks, still with no text, no call from Nate, Blair gave in, voice mailing her apology, insuring her innocence. When Cassie shook her head at her brunette friend one night, an exasperated look written across her face, she gave up, angry and humiliated, unable to think of anything other than Nate and Serena's hug at the airport and her late period.

When three days late turned to five, and then to seven, and then to ten, she checked her diary again. After she'd picked up her cell and put it down, picked it up and scrolled to Nate's number before putting it down again, ringing Nate's cell only to cancel the call, Blair gave up on trying to share with him her panic. She figured she'd just have to go the store alone.

Walking made the nauseous feeling worse: walking to the store to buy a pregnancy test made it worse still. It was a tough feat to keep her legs steady in front of one another, and she was glad to be alone if only so that she didn't have to blame her walking off-centre on the new pair of Sergio Rossi shoes she'd bought, instead of on the dizziness that some days made it almost impossible to take down lecture notes.

Her hands shook as she pulled the test out of the wrapper. It seemed ridiculous that even in the 21st Century, it still took the extremely unhygienic act of peeing on a stick to tell people whether or not they were pregnant. Each second that went by since she'd flushed the chain brought her closer to the inevitable decision she'd have to make, and suddenly it seemed as though she'd been in this situation two times too many before.

This time though, there was no Serena with the promise of a hug or private appointment to 'take care' of what could have been the _wrong _outcome. There was no tinge of excitement that she would finally have her family: her and Chuck and their baby. There was only the sound of the tap running to prevent anyone hearing the rustling of the wrapper; only her with an oblivious housemate and an even more oblivious boyfriend (if he even was that any more); only two trust funds: one considerably more damaged than the other. If it was negative she'd need tests to explain the nausea, the dizziness, the headaches, the weird detachment from maple pecan pastries. If it was positive she'd need another doctor's appointment.

She could see the blue line reflecting in the mirror out of the corner of her eye, even though she wasn't looking directly at the test and even though the ten minutes hadn't quite passed yet.

Pregnant.

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Five Doors Down


	41. The Wrong Truth

**A/N- **Some of you are still panicking. Please trust me :) To **Gleefulvall, Bethany, Gaara-LOve, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Heavenlydoll, JYLlian, SweetSas, itconsumesme, Michaelllla, SmearedLipGloss, ggxoxo, laurienlaurie, BassBillionaire, Quibler149, Calgrl93, elli, MrsChuckBass94, UnwrittenGirl, PacificRomance, lepetitrose, SpyKid18, dkmm1999, 3venst4r, ilikeitrough, SugarFusion, Pink54345, Krazy4Spike, D, comewhatmay.x, annablake, flipped, LittleRed22 **and** Rainbow Dust **THANK YOU for taking the time and effort to review, even if you are telling me I'm crazy. You're all waiting for the truth about the abortion to come out...not long to go :P

Hope you enjoy this :)

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**Five Doors Down **

Chapter 40: The Wrong Truth

Blair stepped off of the scales. She'd gained three pounds in the last two weeks. She'd gained more, she figured, prior to that, and now the lingerie she'd bought from Great Expectations only a few weeks ago felt tight and irritating. Her breasts were sore and yet the vomiting she did in secret seemed to have benefitted her stomach muscles, if only a little. It wasn't even a consolation she guessed, because it did little to restore the balance between the amount of information she was taking in from economics textbooks and the amount she was storing from Google searches regarding the size of a nine-week-old foetus.

Cassie had eyed her suspiciously when she'd turned down drinks at Scoozi, but seemed to understand when she refused to go to the celebration party thrown at the Alpha Delta Phi house. Nate hadn't called and Blair had given up trying. She'd go round, she'd decided, when she'd figured out how this whole mess was going to turn out.

She tried to make herself believe that in the grand scheme of things, two pounds in a week wasn't too much considering she was carrying something that already possessed eyelids and earlobes. Just in case though, Blair now avoided any complex carbs, meaning Cassie was forced to take over the spare lasagne to Asher. In an attempt to stay out of her friend's business, the blonde had avoided Nate's room, and stayed clear of most events where she knew he'd be. The one time she'd seen him for longer than five minutes was at the lacrosse team success party, and even then he hadn't asked about his perhaps former girlfriend.

Cassie and Asher weren't sure what their best friends were any more, and it seemed that neither did Nate or Blair. At the demand of the brunette, Chuck had stayed away, only making eye contact with her across the rows of students in their joint lectures.

Nate had busied himself with all of the things he'd lapsed in since Blair had kissed him and asked him to fasten the necklace he'd bought her. His track running time had improved significantly since he'd started visualising Chuck's smirking face at the finish line, and for every slap on the back he received after netting another lacrosse goal, he could forget a little better the desperation in her voice that day in the library.

Even now though; even after the deleted voicemails and his punching Chuck, he's disappointed, chocked a little when he sees Cassie standing alone on the sidelines clutching Asher's sweater. He wondered whether Blair still wore his or even had it for that matter.

Now that it was May, finals were fast approaching, which, for Blair, Cassie, Nate and Asher, meant hours of textbooks per night, but for Chuck, it meant stressed girls in need of a release.

He had a reason to smoke pot again, not least for the calming effects it had, as Blair's request for him to stay away meant that she'd never smell it on his clothes, and the scolding with narrowed eyes wouldn't ensue.

X

"I brought fuel." Cassie told her brunette flatmate as she ripped open the paper bag containing the olive ciabatta they used to eat with the boys regularly on lacrosse nights. "But I'm telling you, that bakery needs to stop raising its prices every week. I don't want to sound cheap, but I begrudge paying three dollars for such a small loaf of bread."

Blair looked up from her studying. "I told you I'm not eating bread."

"Do you really think the lead-up to finals is the best time to go on a diet?"

"I'm not on a diet." Blair returned. "I'm just not eating carbs."

"_Everything_ is a carb".

"That's an exaggeration."

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "All the good stuff is carbs."

"I'm not hungry anyway."

"The noises from your stomach prompted me to get food in the first place!"

Blair slammed her book shut and jumped up from her chair. "I said, I'm not hungry!"

"You're not sick again-"

She shook her head, half-angry, half-worried that Cassie might find out. "I'll be back later."

"Where are you going?"

"Out." And with that, Blair slammed the door of their apartment behind her so hard that the wall canvas shook as if depicting the beginnings of an earthquake.

X

He could see her approaching out of the corner of his eye, the scarlet red of her cardigan ribbon blowing in the wind enough to ease the burn in his calves, enabling him to run just that little while longer. He tried to not notice as she sat, first patiently, then after a few minutes (it was Blair Waldorf after all) tapping her foot. He pretended not to hear Asher's "_dude_" or the coach's "perhaps that's enough for today Archibald" as he kept running, damning himself silently in his head as cramp seared through his left leg, forcing him to the ground. He pretended not to notice as she ran from the stands toward him.

"Nate!" She gasped. "Are you alright?"

"Someone get him an ice pack from the locker room!" Coach shouted to the other members of the lacrosse team who'd dropped out of the running several laps previously. "Stretch your leg Nate."

Blair put a hand to his shoulder as he winced in pain, gasping as he snapped away from her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you."

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you."

"Nate, please."

Nate winced again as another bolt of cramp shot through his leg, the coach massaging deep circles as he bent the offending limb backwards and forwards.

"Nate I-"

"You think you could continue your domestic after we're done here?" Coach said, glancing between the two of them. "And where the hell is this damn ice pack!"

"Is he going to be okay?" Blair asked, undeterred until Nate dealt the final icy blow.

"It's cramp Blair. I'll get over it. Besides, don't you have someone else's bed to lie in?"

The tears stung in her eyes as she walked away, her cardigan ribbon blowing back wildly in the wind, yet she didn't let them fall. She pressed her hand to the silk camisole underneath, feeling the contours of her hips, making sure the bones still poked close to the surface and forced a slightly satisfied smile that she hadn't got any noticeably bigger. She was still winning. For now.

X

"As much as I moan about you eating our food" Cassie said, tearing the spare half olive loaf onto a plate for a famished post-training Asher, "I'm actually glad you are today. Saves me wasting three dollars on pretentious bread."

"Huh?"

"I bought this loaf this morning but forgot that Blair's not eating bread."

"Why?"

"Because it's finals soon and she's decided to go on some sort of diet. I know she's my best friend, but that girl does some weird stuff sometimes."

Asher swallowed the bread he was eating, unsure as of quite what to say. "How _is_ Blair?"

"Bitchy?"

"I don't mean in general." he half-laughed. "I mean this afternoon."

"I haven't seen her. Why?"

"She came to see Nate while we were running track this morning and he was pretty hard on her."

"Okay, this sounds like we're about to overstep the mark into 'interfering with our friends' relationship' territory, and after last time we said we shouldn't go there, so maybe we should drop this conversation." Cassie suggested before rolling her eyes and giving in. "Okay, how hard?"

"He asked her in front of the entire team, and coach, whether she didn't have someone else's bed to lie in."

The blonde sucked air in between her teeth as she raised her eyebrows. "Harsh."

"Yeah."

"Well?"

"What?"

"Then what happened?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Ethan came back with the ice pack and coach told me to hold it on Nate's leg while he went to the bathroom."

"That's probably the stupidest thing you've ever done."

"Hold an ice pack to Nate's leg?"

"Leave Blair to go off alone like that."

"Why? She's not a teenager, surely she can cope with a few bitter words."

"Because she was obviously upset and who knows how much alcohol she might drink."

"You really think _Blair Waldorf_ would drink during the day?"

"She's just broken up with her boyfriend in the run-up to finals."

"Shit yeah. If it was me I'd definitely need a drink."

Cassie narrowed her eyes in mock-disgust and Asher held up his hands. "Just saying."

X

The hallway was getting greyer by the second, the sound of students talking and music and shoes on the hard floor were tunnelling out until they were no longer distinguishable from each other. She just needed to get to a chair, to the coffee shop at the end but her legs seemed to stop working as she managed to focus on one final thing before everything went black: Chuck. And a girl.

It was his voice she heard when she came around again, telling the gathering crowd to "back the hell off" in his trademark rasp. He removed his hand from her forearm as she tried to sit up, not clearing the worried expression quickly enough from his face before she noticed it. "Rather dramatic Waldorf."

"You know me." She feebly raised an eyebrow. "Always one to make an entrance."

"And a rather shabby one at that."

Blair attempted to stand on her feet but he put a hand firmly on her knee to keep her from doing so. "You need to sit still for a minute."

She tried to push his hand away. "I'm fine." Chuck kept it rigidly in place as she hissed "at least let me sit in the coffee shop. This skirt is Paul Smith."

He was unrelentless. "You passed out and you need to sit here until you have some sugar. Amanda's gone to get you a coke. You're whiter than my sheets."

"Chuck!"

"Go on!" He shouted at the crowd. "There's nothing to see. Go to class."

"You're embarrassing me."

"You seem ungrateful."

"I am." She replied, turning her head from the passing students. "And FYI, who the hell is Amanda?"

The blonde girl in question came hurrying back clutching a can of coke, already opened. There was no straw.

"Drink it." Chuck demanded.

"It's not diet." Blair frowned, forcing her eyes to open just that little bit wider to alleviate the pounding headache which was now stumbling its way into existence against her forehead. "And if you expect me to drink directly from the can you can think again."

"Just do it Waldorf."

Amanda smiled a little too hopefully for Blair to accept as she offered "I'll pour it in if you want."

"Give it to me." Blair snatched the can off of the blonde, closing her eyes as she drank the liquid in hopes of blocking out the numbers swirling around her head. 139 for calories. 30 grams worth of carbs. At this rate her stomach wouldn't stay so flat for much longer, yet without taking in at least something she might cause even more suspicion. Chuck offered an extension of his hand. She didn't take it.

Instead, she forced a smile as she smoothed down her skirt, her cheeks flushed and her hands clammy. She wasn't quick enough to dodge when Chuck put a hand to her forehead. "You're burning up."

"I'm fine."

"You're sick."

"_I'm fine_."

"I'll walk you back to your apartment." He decided, regardless of what she might have planned. He turned to Amanda. "If you don't mind?"

Amanda smiled and Blair wanted to throw up. Again. "You'll call me tomorrow?"

Chuck smirked. "I'll call you tonight."

Blair made sure to roll her eyes in a manner that would make Amanda feel uncomfortable. She knew Chuck had pretended not to notice, but the satisfied tug at the corner of his lips gave it away that he had.

"You must be desperate." She mumbled as they walked along the hallway in the opposite direction from Amanda.

He cocked an eyebrow. "And you must be jealous."

X

He didn't have to wait longer than five minutes before she fell to sleep, and even though her feeble protests were an indicator that she was tired, Chuck had had no idea just how much. His sitting quietly on the girls' couch with a cup of coffee was interrupted by a smug-looking post-sex Cassie and Asher fumbling into the living area from Cassie's bedroom.

Chuck eyed them narrowly. "You two are disgusting. It's the middle of the afternoon."

Asher sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"And why are you drinking my coffee?" Cassie continued, making her way to the cupboard in order to get her own cup full.

"I was supervising your sick flatmate." He replied slowly in between sips of coffee. "Why is she fainting in the middle of the afternoon?"

"I told you!" Cassie exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "I said her going on this diet was a bad move."

Chuck frowned. "Diet?"

"No carbs." The blonde replied. "In fact as far as I know, no food today at all. Well, unless you count the grapes at breakfast."

"She passed out in the hallway earlier."

"What! Is she okay? Did she hit her head? Were you there? Does Nate know?"

"If you want me to answer your questions you must allocate some time before you as the next one." Chuck replied slowly. "She's tired – asleep. Yes I was there and she didn't hit her head, and no; unless one of the random idiots who gathered around her when she was lying on the floor told Nate, then he doesn't know."

Cassie glanced at Blair's closed bedroom door and hushed her voice. "Should we tell him?"

Chuck pretended to think for a moment before replying. "No."

X

Two days passed with Cassie saying nothing to her best friend about the tap running in attempt to cover the sound of vomiting. Two days passed with Cassie not mentioning the grapes instead of bagels or croissants, the water over wine, the chicken ceaser salad sans ceaser dressing. It was only when Blair had to sit down, shaky and breathless on a public bench on her way to the library that Cassie made the decision to call Nate.

"What's up Nathaniel?" Chuck drawled, barely looking up from the textbook he was reading as his (most probably) former best friend leaned against the open door. "Have you forgotten that you detest me?"

"I need you to just stop being an ass for five minutes and help me."

"Did your straightening irons break?"

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you didn't tell me about Blair fainting the other day and you taking her home. Cassie called."

"And?"

Blair's sick again."

"Look, you're the one who gave her the cold in the first place by pushing her in that lake-"

"The bulimia's back."


	42. Bad Brunch

**A/N- **MASSIVE delay with this chapter and I'm sorry for that. Hopefully you're all still reading (I've only my time-management skills to blame if you aren't) **anemptypaige, sailor cyanide, ggxoxo, Maedy, ggbffsb, hollygolighy, kskss, lizxoxo, blairarchibald, mrschuckbass94, al2010, delaineybug, JYLlian, lyndsey, Blood Red Kiss of Death, RustyJimmy, UnwrittenGirl, myRyRy, sugarfusion, Gaara-LOve, ilikeitrough, CrazyBitch10, Krazy4Spike, awakeningezgi, comewhatmay.x, Rainbow Dust, laurienlaurie, littlered22, BassBillionaire, thepluot, D, L, annablake, CalGrl93, flipped, **and **gleefulvall, **you guys are awesome for reviewing - it's always appreciated :)

No further ado, on with chappy 41.

Also, **DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Koffee.

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 41: Bad Brunch

"Can I take you out to breakfast?" Nate asked over the phone as Blair shuffled off of the edge of the bed slowly. Any sudden movements lately made her want to projectile-vomit. "I thought…" she couldn't help but listen for the hesitation in his voice. "Maybe we could talk?"

"I don't know." It was the truth; she really didn't. She'd been afraid lately that talking might lead to her…_situation_ being exposed, and until she'd figured out what she was going to do, keeping her mouth shut seemed the best option.

"Please?"

"It's past ten."

"Okay." Nate replied flatly. "Brunch then."

Blair tried to ignore the tone of his voice which screamed that he didn't really want to, choosing instead to focus on his reply. "You want me to meet you somewhere?"

"No." He answered as flatly as before. "I'll pick you up."

Monotone as it seemed, Blair couldn't help the side of her mouth curving into a small smile. Nate was picking her up. And taking her to breakfast; something, it seemed, that couples did.

Even if it was a charade, Blair decided to continue. It would at least take her mind off of the previous night's events; namely the appointment she'd booked at the medical clinic. "Were you thinking of anywhere specific?"

"Umm…" She could tell he was desperately scrambling for an option, proof that this wasn't a spur of the moment phonecall. "Koffee?"

"Sounds good."

"I'll be over in ten?" He was cautious, quiet.

Blair nodded. "Sure." Her "bye" came only after he'd hung up and the dial tone made it difficult to distinguish whether the churning in her stomach was nerves or nausea. Or definite confirmation that spending an innocently-sick night in Chuck's bed all of those weeks ago was a terrible idea.

She debated on changing the light lavender camisole she was wearing to Nate's lacrosse sweater in order to hide any lurking bulges, but it seemed too deliberate, too strategic for a weekday brunch that she decided not to bother.

"You look happy." Cassie smiled over a bowl of Cheerios. Noticing Blair staring at the box, she held it up "Want some?"

"No, Nate's taking me out for brunch."

The blonde's smile widened. "When?"

"He said he'd be over to pick me up in ten minutes."

"He's picking you up?" She raised an eyebrow. Nice."

"I thought you were smiling." Blair's eyes narrowed. "But that's not a smile, it's a smirk."

"It's a smile!"

"Please, I dated Chuck Bass, I know a smirk when I see one. I said Nate was picking me up and then you raised your eyebrow and smirked."

"I'm smiling." The blonde showed her teeth forcefully, her heart beating a little faster as she tried desperately to give no indication of her knowledge that Nate said he would call Blair after learning of the whole fainting/non-eating fiasco. "If there's a hint of a smirk it might be to do with Asher's moves last night."

"Don't make me want to vomit the breakfast I haven't eaten yet." The brunette replied deadpan.

"Then don't ask for reasons behind my happy features."

Blair narrowed her eyes again. "You're being weird."

X

Blair would have preferred to walk to their brunch spot: it might have presented more chances for Nate to speak to her. Instead, he'd called a cab and they rode in silence to Koffee after Nate had fumbled an incoherent expression while telling her that her hair looked nice. It was straight – a style she didn't normally wear – and she figured maybe he was only trying to be polite.

"I'll have the maple stack." He told the waitress, forcing a polite smile as he closed the menu. "And coffee. Black."

Blair hovered over the cream cheese bagel with smoked salmon, but when her stomach lurched over the thought a couple seconds later, she settled for yoghurt and muesli with a glass of water.

Nate frowned as the waitress hurried back to her station. "Aren't you hungry? It's after ten-thirty."

"No." It wasn't a lie; she wasn't hungry anymore. She was either starving or horrifically nauseous, never in between. Right now, she was starving, yet Blair was pretty sure that when she smelled the fried eggs on Nate's maple stack, her stomach would change its mind pretty quickly.

She'd had enough, after another ten minutes of silence, and seeing as the café was now full, she couldn't count on using eating brunch as a reason not to speak. "How's your leg?" It came out more cautious, more caring than she'd meant it.

"My leg?"

"After the cramp the other day."

"Oh right. It's fine."

They were silent again. Blair was getting angry. "That's it?"

"What?"

"No apology?"

"Apology?"

He seemed genuinely confused. She decided not to let him stay that way. "For the way you spoke to me in front of Asher? Your team mates? Your coach?"

Nate swallowed. "Look Blair, I-"

She could feel the heat burning in her chest as she realised the truth. "You're not going to, are you? Why did you ask me to brunch Nate?"

"I was worried about you."

Her heart sank as she realised it wasn't because he wanted to apologise and kiss her and buy her flowers and all kinds of jewellery until he made it up to her. This wasn't going to be the moment where he told her he loved her, and that he wanted to focus on their future. _No_, because that would have been too easy; too easy for her to follow with a truth of her own.

Suddenly, she wasn't so sure she could speak, let alone tell him to go to Hell like she should have done. Finally, she mustered up the words "Well don't" before snatching her purse from its place on the spare chair, throwing it over her still-slender arm.

"Sit down Blair, we haven't eaten yet." Nate spoke softly, yet with a hint of urgency.

"I'm not hungry."

"You must be."

"Funny." She replied coldly. "The way you just made me feel tends to take that hunger away."

"I'm sorry." His eyes were soft. He looked like he meant it, but then it had seemed that way earlier, and now there was no way she could believe him.

"Yeah." She returned, watching their food come toward the soon-to-be half-empty table. "So am I."

X

The following two days passed quickly enough, mainly, Blair figured, because she was dreading the appointment that had been scheduled for two-thirty that afternoon. She'd managed to stay strong enough to send all of Nate's calls straight to voicemail so that he was either forced to leave messages she refused to listen to, or simply hang up. He chose the latter mainly, and yet every time she hoped to see her voicemails increase, there was no surprise when they didn't.

She thanked God that Asher had taken Cassie to the movies so that there was no line of questioning from the blonde to be subjected to. It still hurt though, that even over a year into their relationship, day dates still excited the pair, while Nate seemed to only force a meeting between him and Blair because he felt he should.

She made the cab drop her off a couple blocks away: too close and she might not be able to get out of the car, yet too far away and her legs might give in to their trembling before she'd even reached the appropriate street. She shook her head. _Appropriate _seemed the wrong word. Absolutely nothing about this situation was appropriate.

The doors to the clinic were heavy: maybe, she thought, because it might deter those going in. That, or they would prevent patients from running away from what they'd just done. Even as she was filling out the paper work, confused as to how her shaking fingers were even forming the letters, she felt nothing other than selfish. She was in college, sure. But she had money. That money might not have been able to buy happiness, but it would buy a stroller. And a bassinet. And a private education.

"Finished?" The woman behind the reception desk asked.

Blair looked down at the signature she didn't even know she'd signed. Nodding her head once, she handed the forms back and the woman smiled in a failed attempt at reassurance.

"Take a seat." She said softly. "It won't be long."

Her legs buckled before she hit the chair. Her head, swimming with images of the last time she'd been in one of these places, without a choice of what the outcome would be; of the blue sheet they'd wanted her not to look over, of the noise of the suction device, of the metal instruments rattling in their tray; was suddenly filled with a shrill piercing howl, like that of a distressed animal. It was only when Blair felt the receptionist's hand on her shoulder that she realised the noise was coming from her.

She didn't remember jumping up from the chair, or bolting out of the heavy doors into the warm sun. She didn't remember running along the tarmac of the street, rounding the corner, the beep of the car horn as it dodged her flailing limbs, the moment she finally cried. She certainly didn't remember seeing the sign of the bar she ran into, or the second she decided to go inside.

It was only, _finally _when she paused simply to order a shot of tequila that her thoughts gathered themselves long enough to make a stream of consciousness. She'd left the abortion clinic without having an abortion, she'd run, not walked, several streets to the bar she was now standing in alone, and she'd ordered a shot of alcohol.

"One tequila." The barman stated, pushing the glass in front of her. "You look like you could use it."

If she'd been coherent enough, she might have formed an expression that would have told him to shut the hell up. Instead, she reached for the glass silently, pressing it to her open lips before shaking her head and slamming it back down, tears pushing for airtime again.

It was only when she ran back out of the dark bar into the sun again that Blair realised she had no idea where she was. The old ornate buildings looked the same as they did on Chapel Street and George Street and Crown Street although she knew she wasn't on either of them. It seemed silly then, to put sunglasses on when it was already hugely difficult to focus, yet the questioning looks she was receiving as she half-ran along the unfamiliar sidewalk seemed reason enough.

X

"I haven't seen Blair lately?" Asher half-stated, half-questioned as he perched on the edge of Cassie's bed, watching as she tried on practically every dress in her wardrobe, flinging the ones that failed onto her bed.

"Me neither." The blonde replied. "I need her to come shopping seeing as I have, like, no clothes."

"There are about twelve dresses on this bed." He replied. "Isn't that enough?"

"No."

They were quiet for a minute as Asher watched his girlfriend twist and turn in front of her mirror, screwing her face up into a look of disapproval.

"You look great, now can you hurry up because we're going to be late!"

"Fine." Cassie grumbled, scooping up the dresses which didn't make it. "Do you think I should call Blair? Let her know we'll be back late?"

Asher shrugged. "Leave a note. Besides, she might be late too if she's finally answered Nate's calls and they've made up."

"What did Nate tell you about that brunch?" She asked, forcing the doors of her closet shut. "Blair was _not _in the best mood when she came back, but she wouldn't tell me anything. In fact, she hasn't spoken much about anything at all lately."

Asher shrugged again. "Not much. Just that she'd wanted him to apologise for something, and when he didn't, she left."

"Did he go after her?"

"I don't think so."

"This sucks." Cassie huffed, turning her attention to the chest of drawers she was now riffling through in hopes of finding a suitable purse. "He spent all that time in love with her and then when they finally get together, their stupid jealousy issues have ruined everything."

"Maybe they just don't work together." Asher offered before looking at his watch. "Cass, it's nearly seven!"

"I'm coming, just…I'll borrow one of Blair's purses seeing as none of mine match. And you're wrong; Nate and Blair do work together. Maybe they just need a sign or something."

They left the blonde's bedroom and Asher waited in the living room as Cassie opened the drawer containing Blair's infrequently-used purses. Stroking the soft fabrics carefully, she reached to the bottom in hope of finding the ruby velvet one she'd seen once and admired in awe. It wasn't like the brunette would be pissed; she'd told her friend that she could borrow a garment whenever. Something about rooting around in her friend's bottom drawer however seemed to Cassie as though it was wrong.

She could hear Asher's loud-on-purpose sighing from the next room.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just grabbing Blair's-" Cassie stopped abruptly, her hands finding the box containing what she could determine in that instant to be the key to discovering Blair's secret.

"Blair's what?"

The blonde swallowed the massive lump in her throat as her trembling fingers grabbed the stick from inside its box. "Purse."

She stared at the blue line for what seemed like an hour, but in reality was only seconds judging by Asher's second loud sigh from outside of the door. "Come on Cass we're going to be _really _late!"

"Yeah." She mumbled. "And we won't be the only ones."

"Have you found it yet? What are you doing in there?"

"I can't find it." She called, snapping back into herself as she shoved the test back into its box before covering it loosely with several silk neck ties and another purse. "I'll just do without."

* * *

Five Doors Down


	43. Revelations

**A/N- **I suck, it's been ages. I'm sorry :( To **BL-CS, Blood Red Kiss of Death, annablake, Final-Straw, laurienlaurie, ilikeitrough, D, mrschuckbass94, pearlchavez, JYLlian, ggxoxo, UnwrittenGirl, CalGrl93, ggloverxx19, poochbello, flipped, **and **CrazyBitch10** I love you for taking the time out to review last chapter. You're awesome :)

No ramblings, here's the chapter lots of you have been waiting for... :P

* * *

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 42: Revelations

It was the first time in her life that Blair Waldorf had considered buying a pair of Spanx. For something that cheerleaders (who seemed to be every man's fantasy woman for some reason unbeknown to her) wore on a daily basis, the undergarment was even more unattractive than she'd first anticipated.

Cassie eyed her friend suspiciously as she lingered in front of the over-sized underwear, wondering whether it would finally be right there in Kohl's that Blair confessed her secret. Instead, the brunette seemed to quickly snap to her senses and Cassie raised an eyebrow as she asked disgustedly: "Who would ever buy this?"

The blonde shrugged. "Maybe people with something to hide."

"This would look great on you." Blair said quickly, holding up a navy lace set with a tiny white bow on each shoulder strap.

Cassie sighed in frustration. Blair clearly didn't want to play along. "You don't think it's too dark?"

"Well there's one in powder blue?" She offered. "Although it's a little bit doll-ish."

"Doll-ish?"

"You have blonde hair, blue eyes – powder blue on lingerie might be a bit…you don't want Asher to feel like he's doing a doll do you?"

"Fine. Isn't there anything in white? I'm sick of watching you cringe when I wear a black bra under a light shirt."

"Well it looks slovenly and cheap."

"Not all of us can just drop by Great Expectations every week." Cassie quipped with a grin, just to let Blair know she was joking. There were certain chances she didn't want to take what with the potential of stray hormones flying about. "Which reminds me – have your boobs got bigger or was that just a _really _good bra you were wearing the other day?"

"What are you saying?"

"You boobs look good." Cassie replied faux-innocently. Apparently she'd pushed enough for one morning. "That's all."

"You want to get coffee? My feet ache."

"We've been shopping for like, an hour. How can your feet hurt already?"

Blair stuck her foot out in front of her, not even bothering with the instruction for the blonde to consider the height of the heels.

"Are they even safe?" Cassie asked. Besides the Spanx consideration, pregnancy hadn't seemed to affect her best friend's fashion devotion so far.

"About as safe as a bet on Asher wearing a v-neck sweater today even though it's eighty degrees."

"Let's get coffee." Cassie grumbled. "Maybe it'll stop you being a bitch."

X

It had been two weeks since Blair had run out of the clinic she'd prepared herself to abort her second baby in. It seemed childish, stupid, horrifically inconsiderate to both herself and society: she was wasting time and effort and energy. Each time she showered there was the glowering reminder that time was running out. Her stomach, still hard was now protruding ever-so-slightly over the waist bands of skirts, of lingerie, of the tailored pants she'd bought last week in an attempt to disguise her changing shape. To anyone who'd never seen her naked before, who'd never seen the subtle muscle definition of her stomach, who'd not known she would never even allow herself to be bloated – there would be nothing to question. It was the way her breasts were no longer sore, but a half-cup size bigger, the way her ankles seemed to sigh when they saw the Louboutin shoe-boots she was wearing, the way that her mouth salivated when she saw a maple-pecan plait pasty, only for her stomach to have other ideas that screamed pregnant. She had another month, she told herself. She could make her decision then.

"Earth to Blair!" Cassie waved in front of the brunette's face.

"What?"

"I asked you like, three times whether you're coming with me to watch the charity game this weekend?"

"What charity game?"

"The lacrosse one? I told you about it weeks ago! Asher's not playing but I think he said Nate was."

"I'll pass."

"Come on it'll be fun! We can get strawberries and cream and drink pimms." The blonde frowned as she stopped herself correcting the mention of alcohol. Apparently, the word hadn't even touched Blair.

"If I came I'd be the third wheel and neither you, nor I want that." She replied. "Especially me."

"You won't because Asher will be sat with his teammates. If you don't come I'll look like a loser."

"You won't." Blair sighed, wishing she wasn't on the receiving end of Cassie's puppy-dog eyes. She did a better job at it that Serena, and that was saying something. "As long as you don't get drunk and start calling Asher 'baby'."

"If you don't come there's a huge chance of that happening."

"So you're saying that in order for you not to commit social suicide, you need me there?"

The blonde rolled her eyes but indulged Blair, if only because she could tell that self-esteem wasn't one of her friend's strong points right now. "Yep."

"Fine." It was Blair's turn to roll her eyes. "I'll come."

"Good. Now are you going to order that muffin you've been staring at for the last twenty minutes or am I going to have to order it for myself, complain that I can't eat it all, and insist you help me?" She bit the sides of her mouth to cease smiling. There was only so much indulgence she would allow her friend.

"I was just looking at it." Blair replied. "That doesn't mean I want to eat it."

"You're right." Cassie replied. "It doesn't. Except _I_ know you do."

"One green tea with lemon." Blair told the waitress.

"And one banana-mint frappé, an almond Danish and a blueberry muffin." Cassie added. "Thank you."

Blair curled her nose. "Your taste in drinks is horrific."

"And your self-control when it comes to food horrifies _me_." Cassie replied. "It's freaking iron-tight."

"I need to be careful."

"Yeah." Her voice was thick with connotations yet she watched as Blair ignored every one. "You do."

The muffin in question arrived at their table some three minutes later, dusted heavily with icing sugar, accompanied by what looked to be clotted cream, and screaming its calorie content. Cassie's pastry was more reserved, yet the sticky glaze made Blair's stomach heave, not to mention the bright green frappé.

"I don't think I can eat this."

"You want it." Cassie told her. "You were practically dribbling over the counter."

"That's disgusting!" Blair retorted. "I don't dribble."

"Then eat your muffin and prove it."

"Fine!"

She took the fork to the cake, shifting the peaks of icing sugar to the side before delving it, forcing away the sick feeling that rose in her throat when a piece broke away to reveal a layer of sticky blueberry jam at the bottom.

Cassie tried to hide the fact that she was watching intently by hiding behind her enormous drink that was no doubt going to make her feel sick too. She smiled as Blair took a tentative bite, chewing for far too long before resting her fork to pick up her tea.

"Good?"

Blair nodded. "Too good."

She waited for the sick feeling to rise, but instead her stomach growled for more. She decided on another forkful – two maximum. The cream seemed ten steps two far – one taste and she might not make it to the bathroom in time. Still, it was the first time she'd gotten halfway through anything except fruit and raw vegetables, and for the first time in her life, she didn't feel quite so guilty about eating pudding. It still seemed ridiculous that she could put on two pounds in a week even though pretty much everything she'd eaten she'd thrown up later anyway. Her hip bones didn't show through her skin quite so much anymore, and even her collarbone didn't sit quite so prominently above sweetheart necklines or beneath chocker necklaces.

X

Nate called twice the following day: the first call she missed due to throwing up a single waffle. Clearly, the half muffin the previous day had made her complacent and her stomach had, at that precise moment, been punishing her brain for ever thinking that a waffle _might not_ be a bad idea. The second call she managed to answer, though her growling stomach made it hard to concentrate on Nate's words.

"Yes?"

"Hey, um, I was just wondering. Are you coming to the game tomorrow night?"

"Do you _want_ me to come to the game tomorrow night?"

He nodded surely, even though she was unable to see him. "Yes."

"I told Cassie I might come, as long as it's not raining."

"I hear they're serving Pimms?" It came out more strained than perhaps he'd intended, and too much like a question to serve as a reason for Blair to attend. "You like Pimms right?"

"Yeah. I heard that too."

"And I was wondering if you wanted to grab dinner or something afterwards? You know, as like, the last hurrah before the finals-cramming starts."

"_Hurrah_?" It was the first real laugh that had escaped her lips in a long time, and it was only when they were both silent again that Blair realised how hoarse she sounded.

"Fine." He conceded a chuckle. "Our last chance of a civilised evening before Sigma Alpha's blowout."

"Okay."

"So I'll make reservations?"

"Sure."

"Great." He sounded genuinely excited, and for the first time, Blair didn't even hold a pinch. "See you tomorrow."

X

"Doesn't Asher look cute in his uniform?" Cassie grinned at Blair as they assumed their positions near front-row of the field. The air was warm, thick even though there was plenty of wind, and the clouds overhead seemed to be ushering themselves into position to unlock a torrential downpour. "Look at him."

"Um…"

"Well he does."

At that precise moment, the guy in question waved across the field toward his beaming girlfriend. "Uh." Blair muttered. "You guys make me want to vomit."

"You sure that's the only thing?"

Blair's eyes widened. "Well aside from the amount of pink Chuck's new bed-partner over there is wearing, yes."

"Chuck's what?"

"_Amanda_". Blair drawled sarcastically. "The only person who's wearing, or has ever worn, pink to a Yale charity lacrosse game.

"Oh."

"Urgh, you've got to be kidding me." The brunette groaned as a spot of rain hit her back.

"That's what the umbrellas are for."

"Right." She wrinkled her nose. "I'm _so _glad you forced me to come today."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, cos there's _no way _you'd have come otherwise."

Blair shot her friend a look that told her to continue at her own peril.

"Well maybe it'll be worth your while."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, Nate's taking you out to dinner right? So you guys can talk? And it looks like Chuck's heading our way so you can thank him in person for helping bring you back to our apartment the other week after you attempted a day of study on zero food."

"You have a nerve Cassan-"

"Ladies." Chuck greeted them, ducking under Blair's umbrella much to her chagrin. Blair cleared her throat. "Chuck." Eying his accomplice up and down, she cleared her throat again. "And friend."

"Amanda." Cassie said confidently, smiling all too eagerly to Blair's annoyance. "Right?"

"Um yeah, hi." She replied, not attempting in any way to hide her confusion. "Do I know you?"

"Everyone knows Cassie." Chuck drawled, looking between the two blondes before letting his gaze settle on Blair who couldn't decide whether he was trying to piss off her or Cassie or both of them.

"What are you doing here?" She asked eventually. "You don't even like lacrosse."

"Neither do you."

"They have Pimms." She held up the untouched glass with its fruit and alcohol mixture and raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't drunk any."

"I have."

Chuck's expression was one that she was unable to fathom. It seemed like he was about to counter her statement but then he shut his mouth and just looked her up and down. "If you say so."

"So _Amanda_." Cassie stressed the blonde's name. "You're a fan of lacrosse? Or just of Pimms?"

"Or of wearing too much pink in inappropriate places." Blair muttered not quietly enough. She cancelled a smirk at the sight of Chuck's warning expression.

Amanda either politely ignored Blair, or simply didn't hear her, and smiled at Cassie. "I like lacrosse I guess. It was Chuck's idea to come."

Blair raised an eyebrow at her ex-boyfriend.

"There's a charity auction." He replied, as if to convince himself of the reason he came.

"And we all know how much you _love_ those."

"Are you actually going to drink that or should I just take it off you now and drink it myself?" Chuck sighed, indicating Blair's still-untouched drink.

She narrowed her eyes and snorted over the rim of her glass. "I'm fine. We should probably take our seats." She continued, to nobody in particular. "Looks like they're about to start."

"We should probably take that as our cue." Chuck told Amanda. "Waldorf can get crabby when she doesn't eat."

X

What are you _doing_?" Cassie hissed at Chuck, who was too busy telling the bartender about just how incorrectly he was mixing his drink to take much notice of her furious eyes. She glanced over to check Blair hadn't followed her with her eyes to the edge of the field to where Chuck was waiting – where he said he'd be – at the bar.

He exhaled in a way that suggested he way putting way more effort into it than he actually was before replying. "I'm getting a drink. Apparently I need one. Amanda wants me to 'loosen up'."

"What are you trying to do? Why bring here here? And what do you want _me _to do?"

"Clearly you don't know Waldorf well enough to know that when something's really wrong, she needs to be provoked into fixing it."

"Meaning?"

"Blair often does things to prove a point. If I tell her she's not eating, she'll stuff something in her mouth right in front of me to prove me wrong, even if it's only for that moment. Keep provoking, she'll keep doing it until she gets fed up and just does it anyway."

Cassie cocked her head in contemplation. "Is that how you got her to go out with you?"

"You can be quite the bitch when you want to be." Chuck returned with a small smirk. "Is your boyfriend too hooked on his gay tendencies to give you what you need?"

She huffed, turning away from him. "What I need is for everyone to stop bullshitting about."

"Cassie." His voice was different as he called her back, his eyes more serious. "If it gets worse-" he shot a quick glance at his brunette ex who was holding her glass dangerously close to her lips without taking a single sip. "Call me."

She nodded and forced an attempt at what she hoped was a sincere smile. It _was_ going to get worse, she was sure of it, but the question was by how much?

X

The menu made Blair's heart hammer harder in her chest. Nate had chosen the place for her, there was no doubt about that. The way he watched as she ran her finger over the words:

_If there's something you want which isn't on the menu, tell us. We might be able to help_

made her heart hammer even harder if that was even possible. She could tell that Cassie was trying not to look at her, but the way her blue eyes slid sideways every two-or-so seconds told her that she was anyway.

"What do you want?" Nate asked finally.

_Everything. _She wanted the confit of duck, the Carpaccio, the braised potatoes, even though she wasn't sure you could do such a thing to them. She'd have wolfed down the tart au citron or the chocolate fondant, or both, really, but Blair knew her stomach wouldn't allow it anyway.

Her stomach hurt from only receiving grapes earlier in the day, and she worried that even plain grilled chicken (not on the menu anyway) would make its way back up. It simply seemed easier not to eat anything – that way, there was less to come out.

"I'm not really that hungry."

Cassie eyed her suspiciously, not even bothering to hide her annoyance. "You've barely eaten anything all day."

"I ate breakfast."

"That's not enough and you know it."

The boys sat silently as the two girls stared at each other before Blair pursed her lips and poked her finger at tuna steak served with roasted vegetables. At least from that she figured, she'd be able to pick at the peppers and the courgettes.

She figured Nate had asked their friends to join them for dinner out of shear fear. So far she'd done a commendable job of keeping up the illusion that the reason she wasn't eating much was because of her "illness". It just made it harder when other people were around because there was more temptation to give in and eat all of the things her mouth wanted. He had no idea of that of course; he just wanted to see something pass her lips. Funny, it seemed, that if he'd seen her without clothes (something a boyfriend _should_ see, if that's what he was still) he would almost definitely shrug off Cassie's worries. Then again, if he'd seen the way her stomach popped ever-so-slightly over her waistbands they probably wouldn't have been in that restaurant in the first place.

"The tuna, miss?" The waitress asked her, as if needing to clarify even for herself. Blair nodded and their menus were taken away before a different waitress returned with the open bottle of chardonnay Nate had ordered.

"Not for me." Blair instructed, hoping a smile would deter everyone from asking questions. She hadn't counted for Cassie's reaction.

"_Calories_?" It was sarcastic in every way possible, though Blair had no idea of the real meaning.

She didn't nod in response, but turned nearer to Nate as Asher kicked Cassie under the table.

Their bouts of stifled conversations about the game and finals and plans for summer ended when the waitress brought their dinner complete with "bread for the table" as Nate had suggested. This, of course, was meant for Blair – they all knew that – yet they played along with the charade with good grace (too much good grace for Cassie).

It was only when Blair practically ran for the bathroom on her second forkful of tuna that the blonde set her own fork down in pure frustration at the situation as she huffed that the night was "ridiculous".

As Cassie refused to check up on her friend in the bathroom, the three of them agreed together that they would do something, albeit that "something" had different connotations for Cassie.

Their plates had been cleared away by the time Blair returned, with Nate already paying the bill with an expression that was both sad and annoyed at the same time.

"I'm sorry." She apologised, mainly to Nate. "I guess the tuna was a little too rich." She tried to grin but it came off more as a grimace.

Nate replied through gritted teeth. "It was a plain tuna steak Blair."

"You're mad?" She meant it as a question but it was more of a statement – they all knew that.

"I'll take you home."

Cassie shook her head. "I'm staying in our apartment tonight. I'll take her."

"I don't need babysitting. I must have had too much Pimms." She was desperately running out of excuses now. "That's all. I feel fine."

"You don't look it." Asher replied. "Should we come with you?"

"No." Cassie shook her head again. "Like she said, she'll be fine. You guys should go to a bar or something."

Nate shrugged. "I'm actually kind of tired."

The boys walked them to the cab rank and as they said goodnight, Blair dipped her head, embarrassed, but she wouldn't apologise again. It wasn't her fault.

"I'll call you in the morning." Nate told her, but his voice held no sign of willingness as he opened their cab door. "Night."

X

"I'm not doing this anymore." Cassie said loudly, slamming their apartment door closed behind her. "This cover-up is a load of crap. When are you going to tell Nate the truth?" She demanded with a judging tone and wide eyes.

Blair shrugged as loosely as she could, but the way her muscles tensed in her shoulders told her that her act was more than unconvincing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Making him think you have bulimia so that you don't have to tell him you're pregnant is pretty low."

Blair narrowed her eyes and snapped back. "What gives you the right to make incorrect assumptions about my life?"

"Finding a positive pregnancy test two weeks ago is a damn good reason." The blonde argued. "As is watching one of my best friends tear himself up because he thinks an argument he had with his girlfriend has caused her eating disorder to return."

"I-"

"Chuck's worried too. And Asher. And all you care about is keeping up the pretence that the vomiting you're doing after every meal is by choice. If you don't tell Nate, I will."

"You need to watch your mouth." Blair replied coldly. "I don't take kindly to ultimatums."

"And you need to remember that this isn't the Upper East Side." Cassie shot back. "I care about you and I care about Nate and for some stupid reason, I care about Chuck even though he wears pastel-coloured bow ties during the day and continues to tell me that my boyfriend is gay."

The brunette raised her eyebrows. "Your point?"

"Whatever decision you make, Nate needs to make it with you too. You're being selfish."

"And you're being a nosy bitch who has no life of her own and has to live through other people. This has absolutely _nothing _to do with you. "

The two girls stared each other down for seconds which felt more like minutes, until Cassie pursed her lips and turned on her heel, slamming the door on her way out. The lurching of her stomach told Blair that she needed to get to the bathroom, and fast.

When she finally released her grip from the toilet seat, she dialled Nate's number, her shaky fingers rattling the phone against her earing.

"Hey." Her voice was soft, angst-ridden. "Can I come over?"

"Blair." Nate spoke softly upon seeing the brunette enter his bedroom from the open doorway. She closed the door behind her and forced a smile. "You look-"

"Awful." She nodded. "I know."

He stood up for her, sat her down in the chair he'd been occupying as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "We can get you help."

She shook her head. "I don't need help."

"Blair…"

She hated how his tone of voice was tired, judging, unsurprised. "Nate please-"

"You'll never get better if we don't talk about this."

She sighed. "I told you I'm not sick!"

He opened his mouth to protest, but before any sound could resemble words, she cut him off.

"I'm pregnant".


	44. The Party's Over

**A/N- **Phew! It's taken a LONG time to get this chapter up huh? Massive sorry to all of you for being so intermittant with my posting. I hate myself for it because I just can't seem to get what's in my head down on paper. Still, this is a long chapter in an attempt to make up for my general crappiness at posting. HUGE thankyous to **nair33, notoutforawalk, lyramoon, Final Straw, LaliLewicki, UnwrittenGirl, Missy, LaurienLaurie, Blood Red Kiss of Death, Imlying, nairforthewin, cb, forbrighterdays, sailor cyanide, PacificRomance, JYLlian, AnnaBlake, MandyBrown123, Mrschuckbass94, SweetSas, QueenBee10, finnlover, LittleRed22, Stephanie, flipped, gg, **and **comewhatmay.x **for your lovely reviews. Hope this very long hiatus hasn't put you off.

P.S. If there is no title on this chapter, I have tried and tried but document-uploader won't let me see a preview and it keeps chopping off the title :(

On with the chapter...

**

* * *

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 43: The Party's Over

"Pregnant?"

She nodded silently.

"How far-"

"Thirteen weeks."

Nate stared at her, his hands now firmly on the back of his neck and rubbing it harshly. "Shit. I…when did you find out?"

"A little while ago"

"How long?"

Blair dipped her head shamed, embarrassed. Angry even. "Two months ago."

"And you didn't tell me?" His voice was louder now, more abrupt.

"You didn't want to speak to me!"

"Do not make this" he gestured between them and then to her stomach, "my fault."

His words bit through her, resounding in her head so loudly that she could barely move her lips to speak. "It's nobody's _fault_ Nate."

"I thought you were taking the pill?"

"I…I was."

"And what, it just didn't work? Don't people sue for these sorts of things?"

"I was sick. It must have…maybe it made it not work."

"Shit." Nate said again, clutching the back of his head too harshly in his hands. "Are you…what are you going to do?"

She bowed her head. "I don't know. I…What do _you_ want me to do?"

Nate sucked a huge breath, taking what seemed to be all of the oxygen out of the room. "I mean, can you still…you know, can you still get a…um."

She knew what he meant. "Yes."

"Oh."

He watched the moisture appear in her eyes, and yet he couldn't bring himself to do or say anything to make it go away. He should have figured though, that she would anyway, because after a couple seconds she pressed her lips together and exhaled roughly, removing all traces of watery eyes. "That it?"

"I don't know what else there is to say. I-"

Blair nodded. "Right. That's all I needed." She stopped before she reached 'to know' because it seemed too familiar a response, and it was definitely _not_ what she needed.

"Blair." He called as she turned to leave, and maybe, just maybe, it seemed like he might tell her to stay. But then she noticed the look in his eyes: guilt, not love, and it seemed to make the exchange just that much worse. "I'm sorry."

She nodded. "Me too."

X

Blair could smell the calming scent of chocolate chip cookies coming from their apartment before she even reached the end top of the stairs to their floor. They were for her: she knew, because they were Cassie's "famous cookies" (though she hadn't heard of them two years ago so wasn't sure _quite _how famous they were) and they were only ever baked on special occasions.

"I'm sorry." Cassie said as soon as Blair had closed the door behind her. "I didn't mean to stick my beak in, I just…I-"

"It's okay." Her voice was quiet. Timid, even. "You were right, I should have told him before now."

"You've told Nate?" Her eyes were wide in anticipation, paying no mind to the fact that her hands and the kitchen counter were absolutely covered in flour. "How was he?"

Blair shook her head, forcing a smile. "Not good."

"Well what did he say?"

"A four-letter expletive beginning with S. And then he asked whether people didn't sue for the pill not working properly."

"Oh."

"He said he was _sorry_."

"Oh Blair!" Cassie replied gently.

She shrugged. "Whatever. I-"

"No." The blonde shook her head. "Not _whatever_."

"It's sorted."

"I thought you said-"

She sighed, rolling her eyes half-heartedly whilst making a mental note to voice all replies in staccato so as not to allow her voice to crack. "I kind of already knew it was done. Nate just confirmed it."

"You want a cookie?" Was the only response Cassie could think of that didn't involve her own tears.

"No." Blair shook her head. "There's a party tomorrow night at Sigma Alpha?" She didn't need the intonation. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah?"

"If I eat a cookie, I'll want another, and two will mean a high possibility that I won't fit in any of my dresses."

Blair hade almost reached her bedroom before the words came out of Cassie's mouth. "How far along are you?"

The brunette froze, trying in vain to force the lump back down her throat. "Not far".

"How far?" She repeated.

"Three months."

And then she shut the door behind her, because any further questions would only result in tears; she'd cried enough; too much. It was quiet for a moment as Blair watched the clock on her wall tick past 10pm. She bit her lip, curling in a ball on her bed as frantic scraping resumed in the kitchen: Cassie taking her frustration and confusion out on what would have no-doubt been perfectly-formed cookies.

X

The next day was even hotter than the last. The air was too humid for early summer, and it was making Blair even more irritable than usual. Cassie blamed herself for the temperature of their apartment; had she not baked cookies the previous night, she might have been able to cool the place down. Instead, she had been forced to walk to the library coffee stand in the hope of a short queue (or better still, no queue at all) for an iced mango and orange juice just to cool herself down. The lack of wind and a whirring ceiling fan (that Blair had cursed loudly hundreds of times) made the apartment a particularly bad place to attempt study.

"You're seriously wearing jeans?" Cassie asked Nate as she pulled up a seat next to him. She offered what she hoped was a convincing smile as a counter for Nate's frown before setting her cup of partially-frozen mango drink down on the table.

"Huh?"

"Jeans? It's like, ninety outside."

"Oh." Nate replied, looking up momentarily from the book Cassie knew he wasn't studying from. "I hadn't noticed."

She waited a couple moments before pulling her own study book from her bag, glancing at the boy next to her before accepting that silence was sure to be on the menu for the next couple hours.

"You're not saying much." Cassie whispered after a half-hour.

"We're in the library."

She shot him a look that let Nate know she didn't buy his response.

"I have a lot on my mind."

"Blair?"

Nate shrugged and Cassie rolled her eyes. "Nate, I know."

He sighed and looked up briefly from the book she knew he wasn't reading. "What?"

"I know about Blair. And I know she told you."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

He clearly did, Cassie decided, because he narrowed his eyes and took a gulp of air. "Spare me the denial crap Nate." She made sure her voice was a whisper. "I know she's pregnant."

"I can't believe she told you!"

"She didn't! I'm just obviously a lot more perceptive than you city people. And I don't know what you said to her last night, but jeez Nate, she couldn't even eat a cookie."

"I didn't say anything, and I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you! Tell me you only just found out."

The blonde remained quiet, deliberating in her head whether to take a sip of the drink she desperately wanted, or to continue with the unofficial stare contest she and Nate were having. She chose the latter.

"How long have you known Cassie? How long have you known and not given me a freaking clue!"

"I was waiting for Blair to say something first okay? It wasn't like I was on the hunt for evidence, I just found the test!"

Nate slammed his book shut. "I asked how long you've known?"

"A couple weeks."

Grabbing his bag from beside the table leg, Nate jumped up from his seat.

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere where I don't have to deal with all of this."

X

"You're working yourself pretty hard considering the temperature outside." Asher told Nate as he took up a spot on the bench press next to him.

"Yeah? I guess that's what the AC is for."

"You know coach would kick your ass if he knew you were pressing without a partner?"

"Well right now, I don't give a crap about coach or lacrosse. I just came to work out and all of this talking is stopping me."

"Dude, Cassie gave me a run-down. I know about Blair."

"Great." Nate put the weights back on the stand. "She managed not to say anything for weeks and now she's telling anyone."

"I'm not _anyone_." Asher replied. "And for the record, you're being a bitch."

"Blair can't just tell me she's pregnant and then expect me to just deal with it."

"You didn't have to take it out on Cass. Or the gym equipment."

"Don't tell me that if Cassie told you she was pregnant that you wouldn't be freaking out."

"Sure I'd be freaking out." Asher replied. "But Blair's probably freaking out too."

"You know how far gone she is?" Nate's voice was louder now. "Thirteen freaking weeks."

"Shit."

"She could have told me after one or two or a month even. I might have been able to process that a little easier. But she waits three whole months, right before finals, until it's nearly too late to-"

"-Too late?"

Nate scoffed. "It's not like we could just have a baby. I mean, we're in college, and this is Blair we're talking about."

"I don't think-"

"Look man." Nate sighed, running his hands down his face in exasperation. It seemed like that was all he did lately. "I wish I could say I'm okay with this. But…" He shook his head sadly. "I'm not."

"So you told her to get an abortion?"

"No." He shook his head. "She said that's what she was going to do."

"Then why tell you?"

"I don't know." Nate shrugged. "To clear it with me I guess."

This time Asher shook his head. "She doesn't want an abortion."

"What?"

"She wants to keep it. And she wants you to tell her that it'll be okay."

"But it wouldn't be okay!" he shot back, bewildered.

"I know. But I'm telling you man, if she left it until now to tell you, Blair doesn't want an abortion."

X

"You don't have to do this you know." Cassie told Blair as they walked the short(ish) distance to the Sigma Alpha pre-finals party.

"I know."

"I don't mind staying home if you want to sit this one out."

"Cassie, I got a new skirt, a new purse, God-damn insoles for my shoes because my feet are killing me, and I haven't eaten in at least eight hours. I am_ not_ going to be the Vanessa of the group and _sit this one out_."

"_What_?"

Blair shook her head. "Never mind. We're going to this party. You look hot, I look… acceptable-"

"_You_ look hot. I'd say MILF but-"

"It's a disgusting phrase." Blair finished. "And untrue."

"Yeah."

They continued the rest of the distance without conversation, only making small talk with fellow party-goers regarding the amount they'd studied (or not studied in some cases) how much they were planning on drinking tonight, where they were vacationing once the semester was over. Nobody noticed that Blair's navy spaghetti-strap camisole was slightly tighter than usual, or, if they did, they didn't mention it. Nobody asked where Nate was, or Chuck, or Serena, or Grey Goose, or the ruby ring that was formerly soldered to her third finger because this was college, not the Upper East Side, and really, nobody gave a damn.

"Ladies." One of the lacrosse team greeted the two as they entered through the grand doors of the foyer. "Take a cup, pick a drink, and don't stick to it. Tonight is about getting as loose as possible!"

His enthusiasm was such that Cassie gave a big grin as she picked up her cup from the stack. Blair however, did nothing to hide her disgust at the terminology, but picked up a cup anyway, discreetly smelling it to ensure it was clean. Satisfied that she wasn't about to contract food poisoning, the brunette headed in the direction of the kitchen.

"Blair." Cassie hissed. "You're not putting alcohol in that cup, right?"

Blair ignored her friend, reaching for the cranberry.

"Blair! Is this you being hormonal or you just being a bitch?"

"We said we wouldn't talk about this." She hissed back, holding up her cup of just cranberry. "So this is me _not_ talking about it."

"Ladies." They were greeted for the second time that night, this instance, by Chuck, who had a freshly-highlighted Amanda hanging on his every word as he ignored the drinks laid out on the table, pulling out his hip flask from his inside pocket instead.

"Chuck." They answered in unison, each with a notably strained smile across their face. "And…" Blair looked Amanda up and down. "Acquaintance."

Chuck eyed the brunette. "_Blair_."

"Well as much fun as this awkward exchange is, my boyfriend is over there and we haven't made out in, like, twenty-four hours so…yeah, see you around." Cassie told the small group, directing the information mainly at Blair. "If you're leaving, let me know."

Chuck cocked an eyebrow. "Have fun."

Blair rolled her eyes. "It's a public place Cass."

The blonde grinned. "I know."

X

She could see Nate watching her from the corner of her eye, noting the way his hands clenched his cup, the way his eyes would dart to her own cup every ten-or-so seconds before reverting back to his lacrosse buddies and their _stories_.

And then she could see Chuck in the hallway, drawling something into Amanda's ear that was almost certainly indecent as she laughed a little, laid her fingers on his arm before pressing her lips to his ear to whisper something back. Her breath, already shaky from the noise and the heat and the lack of food caught in her throat as Chuck looked up and caught her eye, all of those meters away.

He raised his cup and the corner of his mouth, and Blair forced a smile and did the same before turning away to the kitchen, self-conscious that the chiffon shirt she was wearing was doing little to hide the slight expanse of her stomach.

She only realised Nate was behind her when she heard the sharp intake of air as her hand wavered above the vodka, settling instead on the cranberry juice beside it.

"Hi." She said solemnly, raising the cup to her lips, if only for comfort.

"What's in the cup?"

Blair steadied herself against the counter. "None of your business."

She watched as Nate tried to hide the fact that he was gritting his teeth. "What's in the cup Blair?"

"Cranberry." She hissed loudly, too loudly, causing a number of looks from fellow party-goers. She settled her expression. "Not that it matters."

"It should matter." He hissed back, turning his body away from an eagle-eyed bunch of cheerleaders in the far corner.

"I'm not doing this here."

He placed a heavy hand on her arm as she turned to leave. "Then we can go upstairs."

Blair sighed and gave in to herself. "All I wanted, when I told you about…_it_, was for you to promise everything was going to be alright." She bit her lip to stop herself from crying. "And you couldn't even lie for me."

"I."

"I shouldn't have expected anything." She shrugged. "I don't know why I did."

"Blair-"

She shook her head. "I'm going home. I shouldn't have come."

"I'll walk you."

She shook her head again, no. "I'll call a cab."

X

"Leaving so soon Waldorf?" Chuck burred from his position against the wall, alone this time, save for a small bottle of scotch – his own, it seemed. "Beer pong hasn't even started."

She smiled sarcastically and threw her purse further over her shoulder. "I'm tired."

"Do you want me to call you a cab?"

She couldn't tell whether he was being seriously or not, but guessed that the latter was the more likely option. "You know what, it's a nice night, I think I'll walk."

"No Nate?"

"_Chuck_."

His smirk was more annoying than ever. "I'll walk you."

"I don't need you to walk me home." She replied, trying in vain to pay no mind to the fact that he was walking alongside her anyway.

"Then I'll come because I've just found out that the girl I was about to sleep with used to screw Tyler Jonson. I could use some air myself."

Blair curled her nose in disgust, even though he hadn't even mentioned the blonde's name. Tyler's name on the other hand, brought with it a pang of guilt. "Why did you think I wanted to know that?"

"Because you've got something on your mind, and you're not going to tell me what it is. I thought you might want to talk about something else."

It was then that Blair realised she'd never given Chuck enough credit for the way he treated her. He'd loved her, she'd always known, even if he'd never said the words, and she'd screwed him over while trying to prevent his father from doing exactly the same thing.

She offered a grateful smile. "She wore too much pink for you anyway. It made it difficult to see your bow ties."

They walked quietly, for once at ease. Though the night was pretty quiet traffic-wise, the thumping from the Sigma Alpha house music was definitely audible across the tree-lined streets. The air was warm, sticky even, and the southerly breeze did little to cool them down.

"I hope Nate told you that you look lovely tonight." Chuck said finally, when they were almost at Blair's building.

Blair simply offered a small but grateful smile as she fumbled in her purse for her key.

"Whatever it is." Chuck continued, "He's loved you since I first came here. Nobody's going to change that."

She nodded, unable to say anything for fear or blurting out the truth along with every worry she had. Grabbing her key, she placed it in the lock before turning to face him. "Thanks for walking me."

Chuck nodded and shrugged.

"And sorry about the Amanda thing. Although I'm sure tonight won't be entirely wasted." Blair raised an eyebrow, hinting at the any of the other scantily-clad girls hanging out in the Sigma Alpha hallway.

He smiled slightly. "I trust there'll be enough girls with self-confidence issues that I won't go upstairs empty-handed."

"I think I might throw up."

He laughed lightly and wished her goodnight. "And Blair?" he called back just before she closed the door. "Don't forget to eat something."

X

It was gone eleven am when Nate was woken by his cell ringing. The banging in his head when he sat up was a definite confirmation that shots of jagermeister with beer backs hadn't been the greatest of ideas. Still, he'd needed something to try and block out the image of Blair's disappointed face and her faltering voice.

"Chuck?" He asked gravelly, narrowed his eyes as the banging pain moved down to his eyebrows.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this but I'm worried about Blair."

"You called me at eleven am when you knew I had a hangover to tell me that?"

"Look, all I'm saying is that I walked her home last night." Chuck continued. "And she wasn't just upset, she was _Blair Waldorf_ upset."

"She cried?" Nate asked, attempting to keep a casual tone to his voice.

"No. But there was definitely something on her mind. I think she's sick again."

"Maybe she was just tired." Nate suggested, rubbing his temples alternately with his spare hand.

"Or maybe she needs you to give a damn."

"Whatever happens between me and Blair is between us." Nate answered irritably. "I don't need you ringing me to tell me that I'm being the bad guy."

"Whatever." Chuck returned coldly. "Just do her a favour. Don't let her walk home alone."

Chuck had hit 'end call' before Nate could fully process his words. After punching his pillow in frustration, and then regretting it as his head vibrated even harder, he picked his cell up again, and dialled Chuck.

"Nate?"

"Blair's pregnant." He said simply.

It was silent then for a good few seconds. Nate wasn't sure whether the ringing in his ears was from the previous night's loud music, or from his subconscious, letting him know that his world was closing in around him.

"How far along?" Chuck finally asked, his voice seeming much quieter than before.

"Thirteen weeks, I think."

"You think? Sh…that's." He cleared his throat. "That's far."

"She only told me a couple days ago."

"What are you going to...are you going to-"

"I think…an abortion."

X

"So you're sure?" Cassie asked wide-eyed as Blair draped the silk scarf around her neck. Even though in a few hours, she probably wouldn't have the slight bulge that seemed more and more visible every day, she'd promised herself that she'd try her hardest to keep up her immaculate appearance.

"Yes. Cassie. Stop asking."

"Let me come with you."

"No."

"You'd be okay you know? You don't want to have something that's yours forever? That'll love you no matter what? Who won't care if you don't have the biggest apartment or the newest Hermés bag? No, you're not being selfish-"

"You bitch!" Blair shot back, wiping furiously a her face as the blonde simply stared back, waiting.

"Blair, when are you going to realise that I'm trying to call you out!" She asked, exasperated. "_I_ know you don't want to do this. _You_ know you don't want to do this. Hell, those nurses that saw you last time know you don't want to do this!"

"I don't have a choice!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No Cassie, I don't okay? In Manhattan you need money and a house and a maid. And I need Nate and my mother, who, for the record, would disown me if she knew. I'd need a career, or at least a job. I can't survive being 'Blair Waldorf, college drop-out'.

Cassie shrugged in a massive attempt to be nonchalant. "Then go."

And as Blair closed the front door behind her, the blonde held her head in her hands. Her attempt had gone only too well. She was gone.

X

Nate's fingers trembled as he scrolled the mouse down the internet page. There was a baby inside of Blair, not just an _it_. There would be fingers and toes, and he or she would weigh as much as half a banana, the words said. And as he was processing the length of that baby, his cell rang for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He let it go to answer phone, not even caring to look at the caller I.D.

Waiting a couple minutes, he gave in, dialling voicemail to listen to what he expected to be someone ridiculing his performance at beer pong the previous night. Only this time it wasn't Asher or any other member of his lacrosse team. It was Cassie, and she was breathless.

"Nate, Blair's at the clinic. She doesn't want an abortion, I just know it. But she needs you."

She listed the address before hanging up, and Nate felt his cheeks burn.

It seemed as though he'd never run as fast as he did in that moment, not in lacrosse, not in cross country, not the time he'd stood in for one of the athletics team for the 100 metre sprint. Hurling himself into the first available cab, he gabbled the address of the clinic at the driver, ignoring the pain in his chest as he gasped for breath.

The traffic didn't move fast enough: nothing did. The sun was too bright, his shirt too heavy, his fingers too slow to pull the notes out of his pocket to pay the cab fare. The blank outside swing-doors of the clinic didn't open fast enough, and neither did that inner automatic ones, and as he caught sight of Blair at the receptionist's station, handing over a form attached to a clipboard, Nate realised he had no idea what he was going to say, or why he was really there.

She turned then, eyes shiny with tears as he just stood there opposite her, struggling for air. It was up to her then, to walk gingerly towards him, her silk scarf billowing under the air conditioning vent. It seemed finally, that his body would work again as his arms pulled her to him.

"I'm sorry Blair." He breathed against her chest as she heaved, sobbing. "I'm so, so sorry." He kissed the top of her head, smoothing down her curls as he closed his eyes. "We can do this." He pressed his lips against her head again. "We're _going_ to do this."


	45. Down

**A/N- **Hello lovely readers. Here are my thank-yous :) To **Always and Forever, Wew, ReNut, laurienlaurie, JYLlian, SweetSas, quibbler149, Princess Bass, hanhanx-x-x, CocoMonkeyGirl, MrsChuckBassx3, ladychrysanthemum, JackieQ, forbrighterdays, anemptypaige, flipped, Maddie Madison, hotlittlestarlet, notoutforawalk, Ilikeitrough, D, annablake, comewhatmay.x, QueenBee10, MrsChuckBass94 **and** Juicyxoxocharm16 **because you lovely lot reviewed and made me smile. Loooooooooong chapter again... :)

Enjoy x

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**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 44: Down

They made a lot of phone calls in that following week. Blair took her turn first, using all of her strength not to blurt out the truth to Dorota before she told her mother. At least if she'd done that, the maid might have had the sense to partially drug her before she took the phone call. Eleanor was as frosty as Blair suspected she would be, staying on the line for all of two minutes before excusing herself to continue her work on several dresses requested by ladies attending some fundraising gala that would be taking place over summer vacation, muttering something about 'escape'.

"That was short." Nate mumbled from his position in the chair beside her. "What did she say?"

"That we're making a huge mistake, and that nobody from the Upper East Side will accept us having a baby out of wedlock and in college."

"Oh."

"She also said she wouldn't babysit, and that we shouldn't tell anybody."

Nate tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "Do youthink we're making a mistake?"

"Do _you_?"

"I just…I guess I don't know."

"You promised me we could do this!"

"And we can." Nate replied, more than a little uneasily. "We just…we really need to think."

"Are you going to call your mom?"

"Right now?"

"Well how about in six months when I'm in the delivery room!"

Nate attempted a stare that told her not to argue, but even that wasn't whole-hearted, and it ended as a pathetic whimper. Blair rolled her eyes a little. "Sorry."

"If you can hear her crying on the other end of the line, make crackling noises so I can hang up."

"Seriously?" She raised an eyebrow sarcastically as she let the corner of her lips curve into a small smile.

"Kind of." Nate half-chuckled as he dialled the number that, so far this semester, had not been high on his priority list.

Blair watched anxiously, at first drumming her fingers against her lips until she realised that they were being stained 'berry kiss'. She switched then, to tapping her foot which in time, received a glare from Nate who, besides 'yes' and 'no', had said virtually nothing down the line. She took the smallest of smiles that he offered her to mean that Ann was at least a little more understanding than Eleanor had been, though that didn't count for much.

A generous forty minutes passed before Nate finally ended the call.

Blair stared up at him. "Well?"

"She offered us the house in the Hamptons."

"_What_?"

"She thinks a Waldorf-Archibald partnership is just what the Upper East Side needs." He left out the bit where she suggested he propose over dinner one night during summer vacation. "I think," Nate frowned "I think she's excited."

"Not mad?"

He shook his head. "She congratulated us."

"She doesn't hate me?" Blair asked, finally sitting down on the bed.

He offered a cautious smile. "She loves you Blair. She wants to take you to lunch next week."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Then…this is good, right? I mean, at least we have one set of parents who don't think we're condemned to a life of diapers and birthday parties with horrific amounts of cake."

Nate was silent, unable to respond to the vision she'd just portrayed. His mother and her enthusiasm seemed to make it that much worse.

"Nate?"

"Do you want to live in the Hamptons?"

"What? I...I don't-"

"-It's a vacation spot."

"So?"

"The only permanent residents are like, _old_ people."

"Well we don't have to-"

His expression was suddenly desperate. "I don't want to live in the Hamptons Blair."

She frowned "We'll have a whole year to decide."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So…I guess I have study to do. You coming to the library?"

Nate blew out the air he'd been holding for what seemed like the past hour. "I think I might just hang out here."

"Oh."

He couldn't have ignored her crestfallen expression even if he'd wanted to. "But…I don't know, I could take you out to dinner tonight? Or I could cook, um…pasta? You still like pasta right?"

Her wide smile (though she tried in vain to reign it in, he could tell) was enough to make the corners of his own mouth curve the right way too. "I still like pasta."

"Then come over at eight?"

She nodded and stood up to leave before all of the goodness that the morning had brought came crashing down around her.

"Hey, Blair?" He called, just as she was closing the door behind her. "Sorry if I haven't been…if I've been-"

"It's okay." She said softly, an attempt at nonchalance.

"It's a lot, that's all."

She nodded again. "I know."

"So eight o' clock?"

"Eight o' clock." She confirmed, closing the door.

X

It seemed as though the entire student body needed iced refreshments at the same time. Blair huffed and tapped her foot impatiently on the ground, staring out the girl behind the frappucino machine whilst wondering if shouting out she was pregnant might make people give way to her order for a blended mango and passion fruit ice, sans passion fruit.

When she finally got to the front of the queue (having decided not to shout out that she was a pregnant person in need of an over-priced virtually tasteless slush drink) it occurred to her that there were no seats at which to study either. Apparently, finals were a big deal to Yale students: there was barely an inch of grass outside where nobody was sitting, and it was highly unlikely she was going to find anywhere to sit inside either.

Scanning the room desperately for Cassie or Asher or any of the girls she knew from frat parties, or in fact any of the lacrosse team, Blair turned up empty-handed. And then his eyes met hers and even though she wanted to, she couldn't run away or pretend she'd forgotten her books or that she hadn't seen him. Too obvious. So she made her way over self-consciously, wondering what to say, whether to explain, whether she _had_ to explain.

"Chuck, hey." She greeted cautiously, sweeping a wave of silky hair behind her ear. If he hadn't known about her…situation, then she might have joked about his wearing a suit on such a hot day, or that pastel was too 'Summer in the Hamptons' for a Thursday at Yale. "How-"

"Congratulations." He drawled without so much as a cocked eyebrow. His tone was deadpan. "You're glowing."

"Chuck-"

"-I never gave you credit for how good an actress you are." He cut. "Really seemed like you were sorry-"

"-You have _no_ idea-"

"-Was it because it wasn't his?"

She bit her lip, willing her eyes not to let their tears escape.

"Or was it just because it was mine?"

He was glaring at her, dark eyes cold and glazed. She was thankful then, that her fellow students were too selfish, too self-absorbed to notice their exchange in full-view.

"It was because you're Chuck Bass." She returned, trying desperately to be just as cold, just as hard and convincing as he had been. "Whatever that means."

"Nothing." He slammed his book closed. "It means nothing."

And yet it clearly meant something, otherwise they wouldn't have been in such a situation.

She turned to leave, and Chuck's hand on her pulling her back shocked her. She could tell it had shocked him too. "Have the table." His voice was different now, he'd set it to a different tone, a different person. "I'm leaving anyway. Better things to do."

Blair tried to call him out. "Better than good grades?" It was all she had.

His smile was so sarcastic that it made her retch. "I don't need good grades. I'm_ Chuck Bass_."

X

"Oooh, bad day?" Cassie asked, looking up from her sprawling position on the couch, textbook resting on top of her stomach as Blair slammed their apartment door shut.

"I called my mother. Nate called his mother. And then to top it all off, I ran into Chuck in the coffee shop opposite the library, so yeah." Blair replied ferociously. "You could say that."

The blonde snapped the textbook shut and sat up, patting the space on the couch beside her. "First, how did Eleanor take it?"

"Just as I expected." Blair replied. "Badly."

"Details?"

"We're making a mistake, don't expect her and Cyrus to babysit, complete disaster blah blah blah. Oh, and right before telling me she had to go as she had dresses to make, she told me not to tell anyone."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So summer break's going to be fun."

"And Nate's mom?"

"There's a van der Built trust fund set up already."

Cassie blew air out from between her teeth, making a whistling sound. "Jeez."

"And they offered us the family's house in the Hamptons."

"Really!" Cassie squealed. "That's great! I mean, it's not that I doubted you'd have anywhere to live, but an actual _house_, not even an apartment. Waldorf, you got it sorted!"

"Nate's freaking out." She said solemnly. "He thinks the Hamptons are a vacation spot. He doesn't want to live there."

"Well it's not like he's got a million other choices."

She shrugged casually. "Maybe he thinks it would be cool to live in some crime scene apartment in Queens, be different."

Cassie sighed. "Should I even ask about Chuck?"

Blair shrugged again. "He was Chuck."

"You know you could always tell him about-"

"-Never." Her voice was hard, decisive. "It's better this way."

"For who?"

"Everyone."

"Blair…"

"Cass, I really just want to take a shower. The heat outside is disgusting."

X

"You look nice." Nate smiled as he greeted her in the entrance hall of his frat house. If he was lying, he was doing a pretty good job, Blair concluded. His smile seemed genuine.

She contemplated telling him about the three other outfits she'd tried on before-hand but figured it would be best he didn't know that the cream blouse she bought in Neiman Marcus was noticeably strained over her stomach, or that the brocade skirt he'd complimented her on the last time she'd worn it didn't fully button closed.

"Thank you." She returned the favour: an exchange reminiscent of their high school relationship. "I like that shirt. Blue looks good on you."

"Thanks." Nate dipped his head, self-conscious. "So I thought we could eat upstairs, you know, so that everyone's not…around. If you don't mind?"

Blair wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but in that moment she was almost certain that her hopes had been too high. "Sure."

They stood there for a few moments, looking at each other in an embarrassed first-date fashion until Nate cleared his throat. "Go up." He offered. "If you want. It's fettuccini, so I won't be long."

"I remember Thanksgiving freshman year." She joked. "Maybe I should stay near the kitchen."

He smiled honestly at the reference, grateful that he wasn't dealing with high school Blair, but with her more laid back college counterpart. "Good plan. I could use a hand with the salad anyway."

Eating dinner on her knee was not something Blair Waldorf had ever envisaged doing. Yet, there they were, him sitting on the edge of his desk while she sat at the mismatched chair belonging to it (even though they weren't a set, not really) their knees touching every so often when he thought of something else to say to prevent any form of quiet.

"You make good pasta." She said softly, putting her plate on the desk top, knife and fork placed together gently.

"Your salad wasn't bad either." Nate returned, placing his own plate on top of hers. "Do you want something to drink? Some wine or…oh, yeah. I think we have some grape juice downstairs?"

"Water's fine Nate." Blair replied, "Really."

"You mind if I have a beer? Classes have really been kicking my a-"

"I don't mind." She touched his arm gently and when he looked down at her, something in her chest wobbled.

"I'll be right back." He leant in to kiss her cheek but retracted before he got there. Trying not to let her cheeks flush, Blair called his name as he was heading out of the door.

"You could take the plates."

"Oh yeah. Right. You sure you don't want anything else to drink?"

He was gone all of a minute before returning, three beers in hand "So I don't have to go downstairs again" he told her. "So we were talking about-"

"-Is this a date?" She asked abruptly.

"Um, I…I'm-"

"-Just so I know. Because I can't work out whether you asked me over because you wanted to, or because you felt you had to."

"Blair…"

"Right." She said, sniffing quickly to halt any potential tears. "I've heard that tone before." She forced a quick smile and stood up.

Nate stopped her. "Do you…I mean, if I did ask you here because I wanted to. On a date, is that okay?"

"So it _is_ a date?" Her smile was genuine this time; warm, convincing.

"Then I can do this?" He asked, giving her brain no time to register itself before he pressed his lips against hers, lightly, ever-so-gently, like he was afraid of what might happen. Nate broke away and watched her eyes flicker open, her lips press into a satisfied smile.

"I guess." She replied coyly. "If this is a date, then it's allowed."

It was easier than he'd imagined it would be; when they weren't talking of course. Blair's hands on the back of his neck startled him but he soon reciprocated; slow fingers tangling in the back of silken curls.

She made a conscious effort to ask no more questions. This _date _(or whatever it was) was, so far, serving its purpose. Questioning what they were doing kissing on top of his desk with its piles of seemingly untouched study books and rows of poker straight pencils seemed callous and inappropriate. So when her legs unconsciously began to back towards his bed, Blair let them, Nate following with her.

The cardigan, emblazoned with sequins and silk thread was first to come off. It was an unnecessary garment: too spring-like to be worn on a balmy night like this, but the shielding fabric was a guard against her shape in its lavender coloured dress. And then her headband of course, because from time-to-time (normally when she felt the need to look as prim as possible) she still wore the decorations which many dismissed as over-the-top.

Her fingers moved deftly from the nape of his neck to the cotton-covered buttons of Nate's shirt, his mouth pecking lightly (almost _too_ lightly) all the while. Nate shrugged the shirt off his back as Blair untied the sash of her dress from behind her. One last press of his lips against hers in that tiny room with its coloured venetians before he lowered her down onto his bed, hand behind her back so that he could feel the curve of her spine: flashbacks of Cotillion as Nate smoothed a stray wisp of hair away from her face.

Blair felt a sigh of pleasure building in the back of her throat as Nate ran a smooth hand along her side, eyes closed with a smile. And then he lifted the dress, opened his eyes to tug it lightly over her head, and his spare hand, still running over her skin from her thigh to her breasts stopped abruptly. He'd forgotten. She knew because she saw him swallow quickly, avert his eyes to anywhere but hers before they settled back on her stomach again. They couldn't not.

Blair reached her arm out to him, not sure what she was planning to do, but Nate backed away a little, cementing even further what she already knew: she was repulsive.

"I didn't…" Nate faltered. He knew he was staring, and yet he couldn't look away. "I didn't realise."

She sat up, reaching for the dress that had been tossed aside only moments ago, hoping that she was putting it on the right way. Blinking away her hot tears so that her vision was no longer cloudy, she flung her curls back over her shoulders; embarrassed, angry.

"What did you expect?"

He sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly as far away as possible without it looking obvious. "Just…I don't know."

"I tried." She gabbled, desperately trying for her voice not to crack. "So hard. No bread, no potatoes, and nobody knew. _You _couldn't tell-."

"-I'm sorry." He breathed, reaching for her. She was too far away to comfort properly. He didn't move closer.

"We should have known that this…tonight, was a bad idea."

"Blair…"

"I should have warned you." She mumbled, blaming herself. Then, just as softly, even more heartbreakingly. "But 14 weeks. You should have known I'd look... That it would be obvious."

"Blair." He reached out for her again as she stood up from the bed, draping the cardigan over her arm before folding it in front of her stomach. She dodged his touch. "Maybe we should talk about this."

She shook her head. "I think I need to go home."

"Please-"

"-I'm tired." She cut in. "All this studying, need to go to bed."

"I'll call you a cab."

"It's not far, I could use the walk."

"I'll walk you-"

"-Nate I just…" Blair exhaled, gaining composure in order to look him in the eye. "I need to be alone."

"Will you call me when you get back?"

She smiled sadly at the gesture. "Course."

"Blair." His voice was rough, hoarse. "I'm sorry."

She nodded before heading out of the tiny room with the three unopened beer bottles and the framed lacrosse team photo, dusty, perched on the chest of drawers that had once contained the gorgeous necklace she still wore: the one that if she hadn't found, might have prevented this whole situation from happening.

X

Of course _he_ was there when she was trying to leave, just leaning, bemused against the outside wall of the Sigma Alpha house while finishing the dubious-looking cigarette.

"Nice dress." He drawled, dropping the end of the cigarette on the floor. She didn't reply. "No comeback?"

"I'm not in the mood Chuck." She said, still walking.

"Maybe you should put the cardigan on." He suggested. "Hide the seams."

Blair looked down at the bottom of her dress. So she had put it on inside out. Obviously. She'd have complied with his suggestion had the air not been stifling. "What are you doing here?" She sighed, not turning to look at him even though he was now walking alongside her. "Or are you just following me?"

He scoffed. "Like I'd purposefully be where you are."

It was like a punch at her chest. "Right."

She kept walking. Chuck followed. "I came to see Nate."

"Then you're walking the wrong way."

This time he didn't reply, just stopped walking, watched her continue, all the while knowing she was close to tears.

"So why are you walking away from your boyfriend's with your dress inside out?" Chuck called, giving in like he so often Is it all part of the new 'pregnant and proud look?'." The sneer he'd attempted wasn't as convincing as Chuck had hoped. But she stopped then, turned around and simply shrugged.

"Ask Nate."

X

"It'll make you feel better." Cassie told her softly. "Better you tell your best friend than that awful Gossip Girl thing you keep telling me about."

Blair nodded and flipped open her cell. There was only one way she was going: down.

The music was thumping when the sunny blonde answered the call, breathless and laughing. "Hey Blair!"

"Sounds like a party." She tried to force out enthusiastically. "No finals for you?"

"Hang on, let me…" she trailed off, the music fading too until all Blair could hear was a door closing and the soft thudding in the far background. "You were saying?"

"It sounds like a good party." She repeated, frowning as she caught sight of the time. "Or pre-party."

"Pre-party right now. Big blow out." She laughed. "We should probably be studying but-"

"-I'm pregnant S." Blair chocked down the phone to silence and a slight hesitation.

"I know." The blonde returned quietly. Suddenly the soft thud in the background at Serena's end seemed to grow louder. "My mom called. B, how are you?" Her voice was sympathetic, empathetic in fact. "Are you-"

"You knew?" Her lips trembled until a tear rolled down her stony cheek, followed by another and another. "You knew and you didn't call?"

"I didn't know what to say to you. I didn't know who you'd told or what you were doing about…you know, the situation."

"I'm _four months _pregnant."

"Oh."

"So it's pretty obvious what I'm going to do." She sniffed and silently cursed herself for letting on how she was feeling.

"I wish I could be there for you." Serena's voice was even quieter, almost inaudible, and that wasn't the Serena van der Woodsen Blair knew. "And Nate. For both of you."

She shrugged quickly, widening her eyes at Cassie who was on her way for tissues. She sat back down obediently, waiting to hear the next part of the conversation.

"We're fine." Blair didn't come off as blasé as she'd have liked. "And we'll see you soon right? Summer break?"

"Actually, I'm staying in California for a couple weeks. My roommate's parents have a beach house in Sausalito so we're just going to hang out for a bit."

"Sausalito?" Blair questioned. "Eww."

"But I'll be back after that." She replied. "And maybe we can do an all-nighter on the beach again? Catch up? All six of us?"

"Six?"

"You and me, Nate, Chuck, Dan…Vanessa-"

Blair scoffed. "Seriously?"

"Bad idea?"

The brunette sighed. "Guess California's a world away huh?"

It was Serena's turn to sigh. "You sure you're okay B? _Both_ of you."

"We're fine." She lied, avoiding Cassie's eyes as she listened to Serena's muffled giggling, followed by 'two minutes'. "So, you should get back to your party." She told the blonde. "And we'll catch up in a few weeks."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I said we're _fine_." Blair snapped, too obviously not.

"Okay then." Serena replied hesitantly. "Good luck with finals."

"You too."

"And call me, you know, if you need anything."

"What, like bra you'd recommend for when my boobs finally can't hack being stuffed into the ones I have."

Serena was quiet, unsure. "Or if you just need to talk."

"Right."

"Or if Nate's making you pissed and you need to tell someone."

"You'd love that." The brunette muttered, loud enough for the supposed best friend on the other end of the line to hear. She pretended (graciously) not to though.

"What?"

"Have fun."

"Okay."

"Bye S."

"Bye B." Serena choked unexplicably (or so she thought) into the cell. "Bye."


	46. Childish Behaviour

**A/N - **I'm SOOOOOOO sorry for the lack of updates. I took a job at a publishing company, under the theory that I'd be able to do so much writing while I was at work. I was VERY wrong! I must say thank you to **Blood Red Kiss of Death, Lornaa, CB Always, ChuckArchibaldforver, Nairforthewin, LOVElee, JYLlian, Broken-Paige, SweetSas, laurienlaurie, lovegossip, quibbler 149, flipped, notoutforawalk, ReNut, AnnaBlake, finnlover, LittleRed22, **and **QueenBee10 **for being such lovely reviewers last chapter (all that time ago!)

I'm not going to ramble, here it is. P.S. There's a spoiler at the end. If you don't want to know what happens next chapter, don't read it - I left a big gap :)

* * *

**Five Doors Down**

Chapter 45: Childish Behaviour

"How long before summer vacation's over?" Blair groaned into her cell at Cassie who chuckled at the other end of the line.

"It can't be that bad."

"It is."

"Don't you Upper East Siders have galas and fetes and all the rest of that stuff that rich people do to attend?"

"Exactly! There's this big benefit tomorrow night that my mother has spent weeks making dresses for-"

"-That sounds _awful_." Cassie laughed sarcastically.

"I don't fit into mine."

"Can't you wear something else? Can't Eleanor alter it?"

"My mother doesn't want to speak to me." Blair sighed, smoothing the soft material of the dress she was wearing over her stomach. There was no way she could hide the bulge, especially if, by some miracle, she could manage to do up the zip.

"Shirt and skirt combo?" The blonde suggested.

Blair shook her head to nobody in particular. "These things are dresses only."

"As a _rule_?"

"An unwritten one."

The girls ended their phone call with Blair just as desperate as she was in the first place. It was only the first week of summer vacation, and already she was clambering to get back to school in a city that wasn't a hundred degrees. Eleanor had, as predicted, ignored the whole notion of Blair being pregnant, instead, shifting her focus to the numerous dresses she had been commissioned to make ('haute couture' as the French called it) for the society ladies. Nate was unavailable, and by unavailable, it was near impossible to track him down. He'd text twice: once to say that his mom had 'given him lots of stuff to do for her', the second time reminding her that he would see her at the gala to 'catch up'.

Chuck was in Europe 'on business', though Blair suspected it was mixed with (unequal parts of course) pleasure. Serena was still in California with no definite return date, though she'd promised during one of her fleeting phone calls that it would be soon. Even Dan and Vanessa seemed to stay on the wrong side of the bridge.

Dorota was her only confident, offering traditional Polish advice in her charming broken English. She'd suggested 'Miss Blair find hobby' to keep busy until Nate returned from being MIA. Shopping was simply too depressing: she didn't fit in anything that wasn't from the maternity section, and neither Bendels nor Saks had a 'pregnant but not willing to look or admit it to anyone' section. Instead, between scouring her closet for any dress that might have previously been slightly loose on her, Blair surfed the internet guiltily for diet tips that wouldn't harm the baby.

The city air was thick and stifling, and she could hear Eleanor downstairs complaining to one of her ateliers that a certain fabric would be too heavy if the air conditioning in the hotel ballroom wasn't turned up full blast. The weather seemed to be making everyone impatient; the noise from her open window was loud and echoed long after the offending traffic had passed. The only person who didn't seem impatient was Nate. He appeared in no rush to visit her: Gossip Girl had posted a picture of him topless at the basketball court in Carl Schurz Park shooting casually with some of the old lacrosse team from St Jude's.

Blair would have called to make sure he wasn't broadcasting the fact that she was pregnant to his old classmates but was confident that Nate himself was in no hurry to announce his upcoming role as a father.

Every so often, when pictures like this popped up on Gossip Girl, and when she looked at herself in the mirror, she questioned her motives, questioned her sanity, and whether she really knew what she was doing. But Bart's cheque from the previous year, along with Chuck's continued presence at Yale was there to serve as a reminder of what she had to lose. So she continued to measure her water intake (at least four pints per day) and instruct Dorota to tell the cook that all meals must be served with at least three portions of freshly steamed vegetables.

X

The little boutiques with their pastel awnings and wooden shutters seemed to haunt him at every turn. Until two days ago, Chuck had had no idea that there were this many children's clothing boutiques in the world, let alone in central Paris. He tried not to notice the tiny white sleepsuits, the dainty scratch mits and softest leather booties. He pretended not to take in every detail of the pink couture dresses; smocked and ribboned to perfection. It didn't seem fair that they were on route to the building that might be his newest gentleman's club. He fought desperately not to picture what the baby that wasn't his might look like. If it resembled Blair, if it had big doe eyes, brown and shining with lily white skin and raven hair he might be okay. If it had dimples though, bright eyes, _blue_ eyes, sandy hair, darker skin…if it looked like Nate, well, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stand it.

So far, his European city tour hadn't quite gone to plan, not that Chuck had expected it to. Prague hadn't lived up to his expectations, and Krakow was simply t_oo s_eedy, even for what his business would bring. A gentleman's club in a city already notorious for sex would render it simply a brothel. He wouldn't stand for that. The currently empty venue on the river end of the Rue des Bernardines was his penultimate option; his last in Paris at least. From then there would only be London to consider, and he wasn't sure enough about the tastes of the English to really form a thorough plan. On his return to America, he figured he may as well spend a week or so at Lily's Hamptons house. The city air would be too stifling to think properly.

X

The note simply said '_this should fit_'. It wasn't even Eleanor's writing, though Blair knew her mother had made the dress from looking at the exquisite needlework. Her mother might be a bitch, but she was still the most wonderful seamstress.

The fabric was so slight that it was almost weightless, and the colour was of the palest grey-blue that it complimented her skin perfectly. Pregnancy might have been ruining the majority of her body, yet it had done wonders for her skin. Slipping the dress on, Blair noted how effortlessly the zip slid up the side of her body. She wondered whether her mother had really cared enough about her feelings to make her such a dress, or whether she was so intent on not having anyone find out about the situation that she'd go to any lengths to cover it up. Whichever the reason, at least the material skimmed her frame in a way that just by glancing, nobody would tell she was pregnant.

Nate still wasn't answering his cell. She'd stopped leaving messages; if he wanted to call her back, he would have. Perhaps, she figured, he was making the most of his time alone. With each day that went by Blair wondered whether it might have been best had he not burst into the clinic that stifling hot day in New Haven. And though she tried her hardest not too, and silently cursed herself every time she did, she wondered had Chuck burst into the clinic in her current city on the worst day of her life, whether it might have been alright in the end. At least she wouldn't have been worrying about a permanent residence in the Hamptons.

And then it came. It was completely inevitable, and yet Blair was still caught so horribly off-guard that she couldn't breathe. The air became thick and burning, and her legs felt as though they would give way beneath her any minute.

_**Swell news everyone. One of our Upper East Siders has something to share. Don't worry B, we're sure that Eleanor Waldorf Designs won't mind expanding to include a maternity range.**_

X

It seemed ridiculous to be checking the leather seats of the cab for hidden cameras, though Blair wasn't sure how many people would be on her trail after the Gossip Girl blast. Nate couldn't have seen anything yet; he'd have called, she reasoned. But when she pulled up outside of his house and saw the group of girls waiting, she had no choice.

Her call went straight to voicemail, and after thrusting a bundle of creased notes at the driver, she pushed through the girls asking whether Nate was the father, covering up the key pad as she entered the code that had only altered once in all the time she had known the Archibald family.

She hadn't even reached the bottom of the staircase before Ann, on her way from the living room to the kitchen, spotted her.

"Blair!"

Her voice was laced with so much excitement that Blair found it hard to swallow. Trying her best to reciprocate the hug that came her way, Blair looked up toward the second floor, half-expecting Nate to open his door to see what the fuss was about. She was less surprised that he didn't.

"Do you want something to drink? It's so hot outside! Perhaps some iced tea or-"

"I'm fine." She cut in with what she hoped was a grateful smile.

"Then something to eat? I found the most delicious raspberry sorbet the other day."

She shook her head. "I'm fine. Really."

"You know, you have to eat for more than just you now."

"I had a toasted bagel just before I came out." She hoped the tremble in her voice didn't give her away. "I actually came to see whether Nate was here."

"He's upstairs." Ann replied with a smile. "I'm so pleased for you both. I keep telling Nate he was supposed to propose first, but these little accidents happen sometimes." She laughed lightly, and Blair was almost positive she was about to cry. "I suppose once you've had the baby, your fingers will be back to normal."

"My fingers?"

"For the ring. You're probably carrying extra water right now, but once that baby's out I bet you'll pop right back."

She nodded, unable to say anything that wasn't filled with expletives.

"Go ahead Blair dear. You know where everything is. I'm in the middle of tending to the hydrangea bush, hence the gloves." She smiled even wider, indicated her white cotton-gloved hands. "We must have lunch soon. The Archibald family is so excited. Nate was adamant that I shouldn't send a newsletter but the response has been so happy."

Blair tried to force the lump in her throat down. It wouldn't go.

"There's fresh lemonade in the refrigerator. I'm only out back if you need anything."

She was sure Ann squealed with delight on her way out. Suddenly, climbing the stairs to Nate's room seemed like walking to her fate. And when she finally got to his door, closed, no sign of him even being there, she realised how Gossip Girl had found out. The newsletter. And Nate hadn't even called.

It was only when she placed a shaky hand on the handle that she heard his voice; low and mumbling, standard, from their early years of dating. She knocked lightly but entered anyway, because it seemed that if Nate had his choice, he wouldn't even acknowledge her presence.

He looked genuinely shocked to see her, and as Blair looked him up and down, white polo shirt, jeans, flip flops, dishevelled hair, she knew he wasn't dealing. He offered the smallest of smiles, though she knew he had tried enormously hard to muster up the one he gave. She curled her lips; a reciprocation and perched on the edge of his bed, smoothing her sundress out before pulling the edges of her cardigan across her middle. It was an unconscious action; the air was anything but cool.

It was only then that she realised who was on the other end of the line: Serena.

When he ended the call, a good five minutes after she'd been there, Nate stood up. "Blair-"

"Tell me that s_he _called _you_."

Nate dipped his head ever-so-slightly. It was enough for Blair to notice.

"Do you hate me?"

"What?"

"Your mom sent a newsletter announcing that w_e_, not _I_, but _we_ are pregnant. She said you tried to stop her. You didn't even tell me. And now Gossip Girl has announced it to the world." She took a breath, knowing that if she didn't, her voice would crack. "So I was wondering, do you hate me?"

Nate watched as she sat there, her stomach covered by a thin waterfall cardigan even though it was ninety degrees outside. The hug that came from his arms was off, they both knew that. Blair took it all the same. "I don't know what I feel." He admitted quietly. "But I know I don't hate you."

"Then do you think you could return my calls? Just so I know whether I have a date or not for the benefit tomorrow night."

"Right." He nodded. "The benefit."

"Eleanor made me a dress." She said quietly. "It fits."

He tried to smile through his guilt – Nate knew what she meant. She meant he wouldn't be able to see her stomach. He took her into another hug.

"I'm sorry Blair."

She pulled back. "I'm not asking that we have to do this together. I just…I just needed to know that you're okay with _me_ doing it."

He swallowed, nervously. "You know, I've never held a baby before. My cousin brought her baby to visit last year, and I was too scared to even sit next to him on the couch."

"I'm so scared that it's going to hate us as much as we hated our parents."

"Well if that happens, we can always send it to boarding school."

It was supposed to be a joke. Neither of them could find the strength to laugh.

"What time does the benefit start?" Nate asked after a few moments of unmanageable silence.

"Eight."

"Then I'll pick you up at quarter past."

"You know you don't have to go with me."

"I know." Nate nodded.

She would have whispered her thanks, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth, instead: "What did Serena say?"

"Not much."

It was a lie, both knew, yet neither acknowledged it. "Did she say when she was coming home?"

"Soon I think. Earlier than she'd planned."

"Did you ask her to?"

"Yes."

Blair rolled her eyes, meaning to be nonchalant. It didn't work. "Right. I should go, I've got-"

"I asked her to come because I was worried about you. I thought…I wondered whether it was best you talk to Serena. I mean, I know your mom hasn't-"

"If I need to talk to anyone, I'd pick Cassie. At least she didn't avoid calling me."

"Serena didn't know what we were going to do. She didn't know what to say to you, to us."

Blair scoffed. "She's in California and you're still defending her."

Nate sighed. "I wasn't defending her Blair, I-"

"I should go. And just so you know, when my mother finds out Ann announced this baby in a newsletter, she's going to be so angry." Blair turned to leave. "I'll see you at the benefit."

"I thought I was picking you up."

"I'll meet you there."

X

It was the usual kind of event that she hadn't missed in the slightest. In junior year such things were fun, sometimes, especially when she'd been first dating Dan, and she could relish the look on Lily's face. Now though, especially after spending two years away from such frivolity and excess, Serena was even more fed up than she'd been by the end of senior year, when the only thing to break up the monotony of speeches and smoked salmon canapés was Chuck and Blair's scheming.

Now, here she was, having dragged a miserable and jet-lagged Chuck, fresh from his landing from Europe. She'd been able to tell from the way that he hadn't brought home any air stewardesses that the business trip had been unsuccessful, but Lily had insisted on their presence at the benefit she'd helped organise. Bart had had a hand in the preparations too. Serena wasn't even sure what it was in aid of, but Blair would be there, and Nate too, and he'd said how the brunette needed someone to talk to, even if she wouldn't admit it.

She wasn't sure what good she would be, especially with the way they left things after Blair's phone call a couple weeks ago. Chuck wasn't helping: the way he was mauling the food told her that she probably should have just left him to get some sleep. Bart had been somewhat insistent on him learning to manage his tiredness though, saying that fundraisers and other such events were the perfect opportunities to get the Bass Industries name out there. She had wondered whether the steely line of his jaw meant something else, but the Gossip Girl blast that had come through that afternoon meant she hadn't had much time to think. She wasn't even sure Blair would be there for her surprise appearance.

Just then though, she caught the brunette making her way across at the other side of the room, only to be cut off by a decidedly fuming-looking Eleanor.

X

"I spent all night working on that dress for you – you could have at least told me about Ann's newsletter." Eleanor spat at her daughter. "I could have spent my time making a dress to make someone else look thinner."

"I had no idea-"

"Rubbish. I don't know why you think playing house in New Haven is just another one of your games but you need to get real. There have been tens of ladies giving me their sympathies tonight, and I've been here three hours. Getting pregnant in college is bad enough but you haven't even got a ring on your finger."

Blair turned to leave but Eleanor grabbed her arm. "There are some leaflets on the sideboard in the living room. Take a look at them when we get home."

Blair felt her face flush, her legs start to tremble as she clocked Serena at the other side of the room. "No."

"What did you say?"

"I said no, I won't look at the leaflets."

"Blair, people are starting to look. We'll talk about this at home."

"No mother, we won't." Her voice was steadier than she'd imagined it ever could be. "I won't let you do this again."

She watched as her mother's eyes narrowed, almost to a point. "I would have thought it so ridiculous that you're trying to punish me if you weren't my daughter. This just proves how much of a child you still are."

They were interrupted by a couple who Blair recognised but couldn't put a name to. "We just wanted to say congratulations Blair." The woman said, smiling. "And to you too Eleanor."

"Thank you." Blair replied with what everyone could tell was a fake smile. "We're very excited."

She let the corners of her mouth drop immediately, turning away to walk towards Serena.

X

"B!" The blonde squealed, a little too excitedly to appear truthful.

"I didn't know you were coming back so soon." Blair replied, giving her friend a hug.

"Yeah, I wanted to see you. And you look so radiant!"

"So do you. I guess a California tan is different to the kind you get in the Hamptons huh?"

Serena laughed lightly and fingered her almost white-blonde waves. "I guess I spend a lot of time on the beach."

Blair took a seat and accepted a glass of champagne from one of the waiters, for cosmetic purposes only.

"So where's Nate?" Serena asked.

Blair shrugged solemnly. "I said I'd meet him here."

"Oh, are you guys not-"

"We're going to be parents." She answered quickly. "There's no bigger commitment between two people than that, right?"

"Right." Serena dipped her head. "I still can't believe someone is going to call you 'mom'."

"Please don't ever say that again."

The blonde giggled, and for a couple of minutes while they caught up on each others' lives; the stress of finals, the party blowouts, the fact that Serena went on _vacation _to Sausalito, everything was like it was two years ago. But then the girls saw Nate enter through the double doors, tux on, yet a haphazard tie letting the whole ensemble down. They watched as he scoured the crowd who hadn't yet seated themselves at their respective tables until Serena stuck her hand in the air to wave him over.

"Hey!" He brushed his lips against Blair's cheek, but it wasn't a patch on the last kiss they'd shared in his room at the Alpha Delta Phi house. His hug for Serena was a little more sincere, though not much, and the tired expression on his face told both girls that he'd have rather been anywhere than that room.

X

They'd been there for just under an hour, and the speeches had commenced only twenty minutes ago, but Nate, Serena and Blair were already doing their best to stifle yawns of boredom. Chuck was sat across the table from Nate and Blair, next to Serena on one side, Eric on the other. He'd seemed intent on looking anywhere other than in Blair's eyes.

Suddenly, Serena pulled a pen from her clutch, and grabbing the napkin to the left of her, rested it on her knee to scrawl a few words in looping handwriting.

'_Want to get out of here?'_

Nate couldn't hide the smile of relief tugging at the corners of his mouth and as Blair caught his eye, she knew she'd have to go too. Chuck declined, muttering about 'childish behaviour' and 'responsibility', and Eric chose to remain with his step-brother.

The three of them waited until the current speech was over, and took their chance when the waiters began their third round of drink offering.

Watching Blair's expression as Nate failed to hold the door for her to go through first, Chuck downed the last of his scotch, jumping as Bart's voice vibrated lowly through his ear.

"Doesn't it make you glad that it's not you over there."

He wasn't sure how to respond, just simply nodded once and placed his glass down on the table. "Your business trip was successful I trust?"

Chucks expression was blank as he watched Nate, Blair and Serena disappear from view. "Of course."

"Good. I'll take a look at your proposals on Monday morning."

The rest of the night passed by slowly, fragmented only by trips to the bar for more scotch. Eric wasn't much fun as far as conversation went, not that he wanted to have one with anyone anyway. He wasn't sure whether Eleanor had noticed her daughter's departure, but from the way their earlier conversation had looked to him, he guessed she wouldn't be too bothered.

X

It was the most either of them had laughed in a long time. The empty food cartons were dotted across the floor of Nate's bedroom, all three of them sitting cross-legged in their formal outfits, shoes kicked off haphazardly in the entrance hall downstairs.

Serena was beguiling Nate and Blair with tales of pranks she'd helped her housemates pull under the Californian sun, continuing with details of her driving friends to the beach, then being tied to the passenger seat in order not to put them through the same trial on the return journey.

"I can't believe you drive." Blair laughed.

"I can't believe they passed you." Nate added, running a hand through his hair to rest it behind him.

"I wore a short skirt that day."

They all laughed until Blair stopped, her expression stony as she clasped a hand to her stomach.

"B, what is it?" Serena asked, her voice suddenly panicked. "Is something wrong?"

"I think it just kicked."

"The baby?"

"No, my appendix." She shot back, rolling her eyes.

"Does it hurt?"

She shook her head. "It kind of…tickled."

Nate said nothing, just stayed rooted to his spot on the floor.

The blonde watched as her best friend's lips curved into a small smile, her hand staying against the fabric of her dress. She looked to Nate. "Do you want to feel?"

He'd have said no, had he been telling the truth, but the sparkle in her eyes told him he should make the gesture, even if it did gross him out somewhat.

He wasn't prepared though, for the pounding of his heart as he felt something shift under his hand, his breath hitching in his throat as Blair smiled at him. "I can't believe that's our baby."

Serena bit her lip as a lump formed in her throat.

* * *

**A/N - **I don't normally do this, but the spoiler for next chapter is below.

X

O

X

O

Chuck finds out about Blair's secret.


End file.

Gossip Girl, Drama, Romance